RAMIREZ-TEJEDA POSTS CAREER-HIGH IN WIN OVER SIMMONS

BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore guard Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (South Boston, Mass.) posted a double-double with a career-high 23 points and added 10 rebounds to lead the Emmanuel College (Mass.) women's basketball team over host Simmons College, 85-59, this afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference game at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. The Saints improve to 4-4 overall and 1-1 in league play, while the Sharks fall to 1-5 and 1-1.

Emmanuel took advantage of 19 Simmons turnovers in the second half and outscored the home team, 28-2, in points off turnovers in the second stanza to spell the difference in the game.

Ramirez-Tejeda was 10-20 from the floor to go with a career-best seven steals for the Saints, while sophomore guard Kayla Weaver (West Haven, Conn.) scored a personal-best 22 points on 8-13 from the field and was a perfect 6-6 from the line to go with five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Senior guard Alisha Fox (National Park, N.J.) contributed with 13 points, six boards, three assists, a steal and a block and senior guard Ryan Maynard (Bowie, Md.) dropped in 10 points, snared a rebound, handed out three assists and picked up a steal.

Junior forward Molly Phillips (Cranston, R.I.) led the Sharks with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and added two assists, while first year forward Julia LaMontagne (Amesbury, Mass.) came off the bench to net a career-best eight points on 4-7 shooting and dished out a pair of assists to go with a steal and a block. Junior guard Rebekah Carroll (Londonderry, N.H.) chipped in with eight points, seven rebounds and three assists and junior forward Lauren Brandau (Madison, Conn.) hit for a career-high eight points in addition to seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.

Senior forward Presley Silva (Wilmington, Mass.) scored on a layup 13 seconds into the second half to pull Simmons even at 36-36, but Emmanuel ripped off 11 straight points, including four from Maynard to take a 47-36 lead with 6:06 left in the third quarter. Simmons countered with six unanswered points, including a layup from Phillips to pull the home team to within 47-42 with 4:46 to go in the period, but it was as close as it would get for the remainder of the game. The Saints closed out the quarter with a 15-6 run, led by seven points from Fox, to take a 62-48 lead heading into the final period of play.

Emmanuel scored the first 10 points of the final quarter as part of a 15-2 run, fueled by 11 points from Ramirez-Tejeda, to take a 77-50 advantage with 5:08 showing on the fourth quarter clock. Weaver converted a layup to give the Saints their largest lead at 79-51 with 4:08 left, before the Sharks scored the next six points to cut the deficit to 79-56 with 2:40 remaining.

Simmons shot 46.7% (14-30) in the first half and a season-high 44.4% (24-54) for the game, while holding a 40-39 rebounding edge.

The Sharks opened the contest with a 6-2 lead, before a 7-2 run from the visitors gave Emmanuel a 9-8 edge with 6:04 to play in the opening period. Brandau later made one of two free throws to reclaim the lead for Simmons at 11-10 with 3:41 to play in the period. The Saints scored seven of the next nine points to take a 17-13 lead with 24 ticks left in the quarter and took a 17-14 margin into the second period.

First year guard Jalissa Rodriguez (Waterbury, Conn.) knocked down a jumper at 7:47 of the second period to pull the Sharks to within 21-20, but nine straight points, including six from Weaver, gave Emmanuel a 30-20 cushion with 5:18 left in the half. Simmons responded with 12 unanswered points, paced by six from Phillips, to take a 32-30 lead with 1:46 to play in the quarter. It was the last lead of the day for the Sharks, however, as the Saints closed the half with a 6-2 burst to take a 36-34 lead at halftime.

Simmons returns to play in 2018 with a January 4 hosting date vs. Wheelock College at 6:00 p.m., while Emmanuel heads to Medford, Mass. on December 11 for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off with Tufts University. 

*Release courtesy of Simmons College Athletic Communications