BENVENUTO DROPS CAREER-HIGH TO LEAD SAINTS PAST FALCONS, 72-41

BOSTON, Mass. – Senior guard Laura Benvenuto (Wyckoff, N.J.) poured in a career-high 20 points to lead the Emmanuel Saints in a 72-41 win over Albertus Magnus College in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball opener on Saturday afternoon in the Jean Yawkey Center.  With the win, Emmanuel improves to 9-4 on the season, while Albertus Magnus falls to 10-2.  The Saints now hold a 19-4 all-time record against the Falcons and have swept the last fifteen-straight contests.

The defending GNAC Champion Saints, who entered Saturday's game on a three-game slide, wasted no time taking control of the contest.  Emmanuel charged out to an early 8-0 lead, thanks to intense full-court pressure and four consecutive lay-ups in the opening two minutes of play. Still scoreless, the Falcons were forced to signal for a 30-second timeout at 17:25.

Junior guard Lindsay Karle (Wallingford, Conn.) broke the ice for the Falcons with a three-pointer from the right wing in the sixteenth minute of play.  Annie Raucci (Milford, Conn.) hit one from the line and the visitors trailed 8-4 at the fifteen minute mark.

Capitalizing on Emmanuel fouls down low, the Falcons netted three more free throws and Lianna Carrero (Hamden, Conn.) laid one in one the break to cut their deficit to 10-9 with thirteen and a half minutes to play in the half.  The Saints wouldn't relinquish their lead and stretched it to seven after an and-one by Vanessa Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.) and a baseline trey by Bria Tiro (Saugus, Mass.), leading 16-9.  The hosts managed to make it a double-figure lead, 19-9, by the ten-minute mark with a hoop and a free throw by Jasmine Burwell (Brentwood, N.J.).

Emmanuel's pressure defense forced the Falcons to struggle in their offensive sets and Albertus Magnus was held to just two field goals through the first twelve minutes of action. Emmanuel's sophomore forward Ashley Iannacone (Staten Island, N.Y.) finished off an offensive board and Benvenuto stuck a triple to bring the EC lead to 26-14 with six minutes left in the half.

Free throws were the only thing that kept the first-half close for the Falcons, as they were sent to the line 23 times in the opening period, hitting 10 of their freebies.  Another Benvenuto three-ball and two pretty feeds from Chenae Earle (South Orange, N.J.) to Jennifer Bujnowski (Salem, N.H.) before the break made it over a twenty-point game at halftime, with Emmanuel up, 40-17.

Albertus Magnus was held to just 18.8% field goal shooting with three first-half field goals.  Emmanuel controlled the battle inside, with the Saints scoring 24 of their 40 points in the paint and holding a 29-15 rebounding margin in the opening half.

Benvenuto led all scorers at the break with 13 points. Bujnowski and Bramante combined for 11 points, with Bramante hauling in 10 boards in the first half.  Karle led Albertus with 8 points, while Carrero added 5 in the first half for the Falcons.

Out of the break, the Saints quickly made it a thirty-point game, capitalizing on the continued stellar play of Benvenuto.  After a Falcons' three from the top of the key by Carrero, Bramante scored on a put-back and Benvenuto dialed in again from downtown to bring the spread to 55-23 with sixteen minutes remaining.  Emmanuel held onto its thirty-point spread through the ten-minute mark, when Head Coach Andy Yosinoff pulled his starters, up 61-31.

The two clubs would score ten points apiece over the final ten minutes of play.  The Saints, who hit 28 field goals and held the Falcons to just 11, pulled out the decisive 72-41 win.

Benvenuto finished the day with 20 points to lead all scorers. The senior tri-captain shot 72.7% (8-11) from the floor and 75% (3-4) from behind the arc, while collecting 5 steals, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in just 22 minutes of action.

Bujnowski was the only other double-figure scorer for the Saints, netting 11 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.  Bramante pulled in a career-high and game-high 13 rebounds to go along with her 9 points.  Burwell added 9 rebounds and 5 points off the bench for the Saints.

As a team, Saturday's 72 points tied a season-high for Emmanuel, with all dressed players scoring points in the win.  The Saints dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Falcons, 54-35, and scoring 19 second chance points.

Karle led the Falcons with 15 points. Carrero chipped in with 11 and Kendrea Walker (New Haven, Conn.) led Albertus in the rebound column with 10 boards.

Emmanuel plays at home again this Tuesday night, January 15^th, when the Saints host Mount Ida College at 7:00 PM.  The Falcons will host Suffolk University on Tuesday evening in a 5:00 PM start.