WOMEN'S HOOP WRAPS REGULAR SEASON WITH PERFECT GNAC RECORD
Feb. 18, 2012
NEWTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel Women's Basketball Team completed the 2012 regular season with another perfect run in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play, topping Mount Ida College, 75-55, on Saturday afternoon. The win gave the Saints their second-straight undefeated regular season versus GNAC opponents. Emmanuel is now 25-0 in GNAC play over the past two seasons. The Saints will enter the upcoming GNAC Tournament as the \#1 seed and will host a quarterfinal game on Tuesday night.
Junior forward Fiona O'Dwyer (Stamford, Conn.) led the Saints with her fifth double-double of the season, scoring a game-high 22 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. The Saints outdid the hosts on the boards immensely, leading 57-40 in a sloppy game that featured a combined 59 turnovers, 29 from the visitors and 30 by Mount Ida.
Four Mustangs were honored by fourth year Head Coach Jack Casey and the Mount Ida Athletic Department before the start of the contest on senior day. Jeileen Rivera (Springfield, Mass.), Amanda Bolio (Oxford, Mass.), Katie Morvan (Northbridge, Mass.) and Shannon Wood (Gorham, Me.) were the players recognized for their outstanding contributions and accomplishments.
Rivera, Mount Ida's senior captain, recorded a team-high 19 points and 9 rebounds as the only Mustang in double figures for the day. Wood and sophomore Abbey Fedigan (New Fairfield, Conn.) chipped in nine points each. Freshman forward Jenn Rafuse (Brockton, Mass.) added seven points and seven caroms respectively.
For the Saints, O'Dwyer's 22 points came off of 11-19 shooting. Freshman forward Lena Negri (Arlington, Va.) added 17 points and six rebounds while sophomore Victoria Johnson (Syracuse, N.Y.) tallied 10 points on 5-10 shooting. Senior guard Meghan Kirwan dished out a game-high 5 assists and hauled in 10 boards in the win.
Emmanuel led from the opening tip building a 10 point at 23-13 lead through the first 10 minutes of play, following a hoop by Kirwan. The visiting advantage grew to 16 points (33-17) with 4:50 remaining in the half following a Breanna Ockimey (Philadelphia, Pa.) lay-up.
The Saints headed into the locker room with a 12 point lead (37-25) with the Mustangs sinking the final basket of the half on a trifecta by Rivera. Emmanuel went ahead by 22 points with 13:38 left to go in the second half capped on a Negri jumper in the lane, up 51-29.
The advantage grew to a game-high 26 points with 4:46 remaining in the contest after another bucket from Negri, leading 73-47. The Saints eventually closed out the 75-55 GNAC win.
The Mustangs head into the playoffs in the fifth spot finishing the regular season with a 14-11 overall record going 8-5 in league play, while the Saints are rewarded the number one overall seed following a flawless GNAC record at 13-0, 19-6 for the year.
Both teams will play in GNAC quarterfinal contests on Tuesday night, 2/21. The 5th-seeded Mustangs will play at 4th-seeded Suffolk University, while the top-seeded Saints will host 8th-seeded Norwich University in the Jean Yawkey Center at 7pm.
- COURTESY OF MOUNT IDA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION