WOMEN'S HOOPS CHARGES PAST COLBY-SAWYER IN GNAC FINALE, 77-50

THE BASICS 

Score:     Emmanuel College, 77; Colby Sawyer College, 50
Records: Emmanuel College Saints (20-5, 11-1 GNAC)
               Colby-Colby Sawyer Chargers (14-11, 6-6 GNAC)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Andy Yosinoff Court
Date: Saturday, February 16, 2019

THE LEAD: Junior guard Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda scored a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds to power the Emmanuel College women's basketball team past Colby-Sawyer College, 77-50, Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action.

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• The Saints raced out to a 9-2 lead following a fast break layup by junior guard Kayla Weaver (West Haven, Conn.) to give EC the early seven-point cushion with 6:01 to play in the opening quarter.
• A three by sophomore guard Jamad Fiin (Boston, Mass.) bumped the lead to 21-11, sending Emmanuel into the second quarter holding a 10 point advantage.
• Back-to-back layups from Ramirez-Tejeda increased the host's lead to 35-17 as EC used an 8-3 flurry to end the stanza with a 37-18 lead.
• Emmanuel's defensive pressure made the Chargers struggle from the field in the first half shooting just 23.3 percent from the floor while going 0-for-11 from long range.
• Colby-Sawyer opened the third with eight straight points to close the gap to 37-26 following consecutive threes from the top of the key by junior center Tianna Sugars (Oxford, Maine).
• Emmanuel responded with a 15-5 run to extend the lead to 52-31 on a layup in traffic by Fiin late in the third and carried a 55-38 lead into the final quarter.
• The Chargers could not overcome the large deficit in the fourth as Emmanuel cruised to the 77-50 GNAC victory.

OF NOTE

• Prior to the start of the contest, the Emmanuel College Athletic Department honored seniors Madison McLaughlin (Westerly, R.I.) and Mary McCarthy (Scituate, Mass.) in a "Senior Day" ceremony. During their Emmanuel careers, the Saints posted a 50-4 record in GNAC play and have compiled 81 total wins.
• The win marks the 24^th season in Head Coach Andy Yosinoff's career that the Saints have posted 20+ victories, making him just the sixth NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Head Coach to have 24 or more seasons with 20+ victories.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• McLaughlin finished with 17 points including four triples and is now holds the EC single-season program record for three's in a single-season with 71 field goals from down town.
• Weaver also finished in double-figures for Emmanuel with 12 points.
• Sugars paced the Chargers with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds while junior guard Kristen Donaghey (Franklin, Mass.) added 12 points.

UP NEXT

• The Saints have clinched the No. 2 seed in next week's GNAC tournament and will host the No. 7 seed on Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM.
• The Chargers have also earned a spot in the eight-team GNAC tournament field but will await other results from around the league to find out their seed and Quarterfinal match-up.