RAMIREZ-TEJEDA DROPS 42; LIFTS EMMANUEL PAST WESTFIELD STATE IN EC TIP-OFF CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

THE BASICS 

Score:             
Westfield State University, 89; Emmanuel College, 102
Records:         
Emmanuel College Saints (2-0. 0-0 GNAC)
Westfield State University Owls (2-1, 0-0 MASCAC)
Location:        
Boston, Mass. – Andy Yosinoff Court
Date:              
Sunday, November 18, 2018

THE LEAD:  Junior guard Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (Cambridge, Mass.) scored a career-high 42 points to go along with a career-best 20 rebounds to lift the Emmanuel College women's basketball team past Westfield State University, 102-89, on Sunday afternoon in the 2018 EC Tip Off Classic Championship contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• Westfield State came out of the gates strong, using a full court press to turn the Saints over 12 times in the opening quarter to take a 26-18 lead through 10 minutes of play behind a 10 point effort from sophomore forward Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.).
• In the second period, Emmanuel took a brief lead at 36-35 after a made free-throw by sophomore Jamad Fiin (Boston, Mass.) but the Owls closed out the quarter on a 13-7 run to take a 48-43 lead into halftime.
• Westfield opened up a double-digit lead early in the second half following a made jumper by Siobhan Moriarty (Danvers, Mass.) to put the visitors up 56-45 with 8:09 to make in the third.
• Over the final eight minutes of the quarter, Emmanuel poured in 18 points as Ramirez-Tejeda scored 14 in the stanza to push the hosts on top by a 73-67 lead heading into the final frame.
• Westfield State was able to cut the lead to three (77-74) early in the fourth but intense defensive pressure helped Emmanuel open up a double-digit lead down the stretch as the Saints held on for a 102-89 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Ramirez-Tejeda finished the day shooting an impressive 20-for-24 from the field for a career-high 42 points while her 20 boards was also a new career-high en route to being named the tournament MVP.
• Senior guard Madison McLaughlin (Westerly, R.I.) also made some history in the win, dishing out a program-record 17 assists to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
• EC rookie forward Loredana D'Agostino (Broad Brook, Conn.) dropped 21 points in the win including a 7-for-7 effort from the free throw line.
• Gray paced the Owls with a team-high 21 points while senior guard Lucy Barrett (Williamstown, Mass.) added 17 points, five rebounds and four steals.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

Kendall Hudson – Gallaudet

Melissa Gray – Westfield State

Lucy Barrett – Westfield State

Kayla Weaver – Emmanuel

Maddie McLaughlin – Emmanuel

MVP Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda – Emmanuel

UP NEXT

• The Saints return to action Tuesday evening when they head to Brandeis University for a 5:00 PM non-conference battle.
• The Owls are idle until Wednesday, November 28 when they play Regis College on the road at 6:00 PM.