SAINTS DOWN SHARKS, 72-59, IN COLLEGES OF THE FENWAY BATTLE

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Women's Basketball Team extended its conference unbeaten streak with a 72-59 victory over Simmons College in a Colleges of the Fenway (COF) rivalry played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Tuesday night.  The win boosts the Saints to 13-6 on the season and Emmanuel remains undefeated in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play at 5-0.  With the loss, the Sharks stretch their slide to six games and fall to 2-14 on the season and 0-5 in the conference.  The all-time series between the Saints and the Sharks now stands at 23-0.

EC opened with a bucket in the post by Lena Negri (Arlington, Va.) and a baseline three by Liz Daley (Sharon, Mass.) to quickly pull out in front.  Simmons challenged with a backboard trifecta from Leah Davis (Cranston, R.I.) and a lay-up off a backdoor cut from Jen Janiak (Chelmsford, Mass.) to tie the game up at 8-all.  Following a timeout by the hosts, Janiak buried a trey from the top of the key, giving the Sharks an early 11-8 edge.

Sophomore guards Shaniya Rentie (Owings Mills, Md.) and Sarah Higgins (Groveland, Mass.) dialed in from downtown to put the Saints back on top by one, 16-15, at the twelve-minute mark.  The Sharks pulled back out in front, taking advantage of their 69.2% field goal shooting, and would hold the lead over the next three minutes.

A jumper and a pair of free throws by Rentie, followed by a hoop on the break by Vanessa Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.) gave Emmanuel the lead at 26-23 with eight minutes to go in the half.  Following a hoop in the paint by Negri, Davis drained another one from behind the arc and the Sharks took a 29-28 lead.

Hoops by Rentie and Jennifer Bujnowski (Salem, N.H.) sparked a 7-1 run by the Saints, who pulled out in front, 36-30, with 3:28 left in the half.  The lead would change six times in the first frame, before the Saints entered the locker room holding an eight-point edge (42-34) at the break.

Davis led all scorers at halftime with twelve points, going 4-5 from three-point range. Rentie's 9 paced led the Saints, while Negri and Bujnowski each contributed 8 points in the half.  EC forced 20 turnovers by the Sharks in the first half. Both teams shot 50% from the floor in the opening period.

The Saints took advantage of a 9-5 run over the first four minutes of the second stanza, pulling out to a double-figure lead and forcing a Simmons' timeout with the Sharks trailing 51-39.  Simmons' defense held Emmanuel scoreless over the next two minutes and the Sharks took advantage of early foul trouble by the hosts, as EC picked up its ninth team foul with 13:24 showing on the clock.  Sharks senior guard Desh Perera (Reading, Mass.) buried a jumper from the right wing and cut the Simmons deficit to six, trailing 51-45.

An and-one by Negri pushed the spread back into double figures and the hosts held onto their ten-point lead through the ten-minute mark.  The Sharks cut the Saints' lead to nine after a long three-ball from Hannah May (Hamden, Conn.) with six and a half minutes remaining.

Rentie hit again from long range and Negri stole and inbounds pass and layed it in to push Emmanuel out to a 68-51 lead with 4:50 to go.  The late surge proved to be too much for the Sharks to overcome down the stretch and the Saints pulled away with the 72-59 win.

Negri finished with 19 points, off of 8-12 shooting from the floor, to lead the Saints.  Bujnowski hit for 14 points and grabbed a team-high 7 boards, while Rentie chipped in with 13 points in the win.

Davis netted a game-high 20 points for the Sharks.  May and Janiak added 8 apiece, while Ashley McAdams (Freeport, N.Y.) led the visitors on the glass with her game-high 10 rebounds.  Forty-three turnovers plagued the Sharks' offense, but they led the hosts on the boards, 43-36.

Simmons will host Albertus Magnus College on Thursday night in a 7:00 PM start in the Holmes Center.  Emmanuel also returns to action on Thursday night, when the Saints host the Monks of Saint Joseph's College.  Both teams are unbeaten in GNAC play. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 PM in the Jean Yawkey Center.