BOSTON, Mass. - Emmanuel College (17-6, 8-1 GNAC) defeated Saint Joseph's College (17-5, 7-1 GNAC), 71-66, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball action on Tuesday night. Both teams are now locked in a three-way tie with Johnson & Wales for first place in the conference standings.
Senior Sarah Higgins, who netted her 1,000th career point in the triumph, led Emmanuel with 19 points in her milestone effort, shooting 8-13 from the floor. The senior captain also pulled down eight rebounds in the win.
After the teams played an even first quarter of 11-11, the Saints opened things up in the second with a 16-5 run over the final five minutes. Six different Saints scored in that run alone as the lead grew to 37-26 heading into the break.
Emmanuel opened the third quarter with nine straight points and led by as many as 21 before St. Joe's began to chip away. The Monks, led by Morgan Cahill's 20 points, posted a 14-3 run of their own to cut the deficit to 54-45 with 8:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The game would remain between eight and twelve points down the stretch until six-time GNAC Rookie of the Week Kelsi McNamara hit a layup to shorten the lead to 65-58 with 2:19 left in regulation.
McNamara, who opened the game 0-10 from the field, knocked down a pair of three-point field goals in the final seconds, but the Monks were unable to get closer than four points as EC freshman Olivia Dalphonse grabbed a steal and hit a free throw to ice it.
Both teams struggled to control the ball, as the Saints turned it over 30 times to the Monks' 29.
The EC bench once again proved to be the difference, outscoring the Saint Joe's reserves 27-13. The Saints shot 47.1 percent (24-51) from the field while the visitors posted 39.0 percent (23-59).
Both teams resume play Saturday when the Monks host Norwich University and the Saints host Simmons College. Both contests are slated to start at 1:00 PM.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
