SAINTS FALL TO ROCHESTER IN NCAA HEARTBREAKER, 70-66

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Emmanuel College Women's Basketball Team suffered a heart-breaking 70-66 loss to the University of Rochester on Friday night in the opening round of the NCAA Regional.  The battle featured seven lead changes and eight ties, before the host Yellowjackets nipped the Saints to advance in the national tournament.  Emmanuel will close out the season with an overall record of 23-6.  Rochester will play Williams College in Saturday's Regional Final at the Palestra.

Loren Wagner scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the University of Rochester.  Danielle McNabb added 12 points for the Yellowjackets, who improve to 20-6 on the season.  Ally Zywicki had eight points and seven assists, while Amy Woods added eight points in the win.

Fiona O'Dwyer scored 21 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds to lead Emmanuel. Laura Benvenuto netted 13 points and Sarah Higgins added 12, going 8-9 from the line.  Britni Mikulanecz chipped in with 5 points and dished out 5 assists in 37 minutes of action.

"This was two very good teams battling tonight," said Rochester head coach Jim Scheible. "They had players who were tough matchups for us."

Emmanuel counterpart Andy Yosinoff agreed. "It was a hard-fought game," he said. "Both teams went at each other. It's probably the best NCAA game I've ever been involved with."

There were two crucial Rochester baskets that turned the game around.  Emmanuel edged in front by three points twice in the second half – at 40-37 on a three-pointer from Britni Mikulanecz with 15:53 left and then 42-39 after two free throws by O'Dwyer two minutes later.

Rochester scored seven straight – a trey by Paige Aleski, a layup from Wagner, and another layup by Walker. O'Dwyer sank the back end of two free throws, getting the Saints within 46-43 with 10:36 left.

Emmanuel's pressure forced some harried passing by Rochester. With the shot clock winding under 3 seconds, the ball came to Walker well behind the three point line to the right of the key. She put up a long three-pointer that fell through cleanly for a 49-43 edge.  "A big shot by her," said Yosinoff.

The Yellowjacket lead grew to nine points twice, the last time on a jumper by Woods with just under eight minutes left. Emmanuel pushed and went on an 8-1 flurry, including four free throws by Higgins, that cut the deficit to 57-55 with 5:46 remaining.

Liz Daley buried a three for Emmanuel and the Saints eventually knotted the game at 60-all on two free throws by Higgins in the last four minutes.  Wagner made two layups with a free throw in between, 65-60, at 2:22.

After a free throw by Zywicki kept the lead at four, O'Dwyer sank a trey to trim it to 66-65. Wagner hit a layup off Mcnabb's feed with 25 seconds left (68-65), then made two free throws with nine seconds to play after the Saints missed the second of two foul shots with 10 seconds left and down by two.

"I thought our pressure defense would give them trouble, but they handled it," said Yosinoff. "We wear people down, but they have 10 players they run in and out. They were able to match up with our sizes."

Emmanuel scored 17 points off 14 Rochester turnovers and 15 points from 12 offensive rebounds. Rochester had 12 points from nine Emmanuel turnovers and 10 second chance points (13 offensive boards).

"We couldn't get anything (in transition) off our defense," Scheible said of the nine turnovers by the Saints.  "If you told me we could lose a game with nine turnovers," Yosinoff said, "I'd never believe you."

- Release courtesy of the University of Rochester Sports Information