BOSTON, Mass. - Juniors Liz Brasa (East Hartford, Conn.) and Jamie Zoldy (Watertown, Conn.) each netted a dozen points to lead the Simmons College women's basketball team in a 92-54 loss to host Emmanuel College this afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest at the Jean Yawkey Center Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks fall to 7-15 overall, including 1-8 in league play, while the Saints win their fourth in a row to improve to 18-6 and 9-1.
Emmanuel relied on hot shooting (52.8%, 38-72) and took advantage of Simmons miscues, outscoring the visitors 34-11 in points off turnovers.
Brasa was 4-8 from the floor for the Sharks, while grabbing five rebounds and handing out four assists. Zoldy added three steals and two assists in 21 minutes off the bench. Senior guard Gracie Rolfe (Newton, Mass.) netted nine points, pulled down four rebounds, dished for an assist and made a steal in 20 minutes.
Graduate student Lena Negri (Arlington, Va.) led all scorers with 19 points on 9-14 from the field and added five boards, four steals and three assists for the Saints, while senior guard Sarah Higgins (Groveland, Mass.) added 18 points in addition to coming up with a game-high five steals. Also in double-figures for Emmanuel were junior forwards Jen Chalk (Horseheads, N.Y.) and Alexis Ezell (Acworth, Ga.) with 10 points each. Chalk was 3-4 from the floor in 11 minutes and Ezell was 4-5 in 15 minutes.
The Saints took control of the game early, holding the Sharks to just one field goal over the opening five minutes of play, while taking a 21-2 advantage. Higgins scored nine points to lead the charge for the home team. Simmons responded with an 8-2 burst capped by a three-pointer from first year guard Francesca Corsinetti (Johnston, R.I.) to cut the deficit to 23-10 with 2:59 left in the opening period. Emmanuel added to its lead to close out the half, punctuated by a three-pointer from sophomore guard Ryan Maynard (Bowie, Md.) for the last points of the quarter and a 32-12 Saints' cushion.
Emmanuel maintained its lead throughout the second period and took its biggest margin of the first half when first year guard Madison McLaughlin (Westerly, R.I.) drained a three-pointer for a 49-21 lead with 29 ticks left in the half. Junior forward Ashley McAdams (Freeport, N.Y.) converted a lay-up just before the intermission for the Sharks to make the halftime deficit 49-23.
The Saints continued their outstanding play in the third quarter, holding a 20-plus lead for the entire period. Emmanuel kept the pressure on in the final quarter before coming away with the victory.
Simmons returns to action on Tuesday, February 16, after two weeks on the road, when it hosts Saint Joseph's College (Maine) at Moore Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m., while the Saints close out the regular season in West Haven, Conn. on February 20, taking on Albertus Magnus College at 1:00 p.m.