BOSTON, Mass. – Senior forward Liz Brasa (East Hartford, Conn.) matched her career high with 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Simmons College women's basketball team over visiting University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 66-53, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference game this evening at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 8-14 overall for their highest win total since they finished 9-14 in 2010-11 and improve their conference mark to 6-9. The Blue Jays fall to 9-15 and 3-12.
Simmons held a decided edge on the glass, outrebounding Saint Joseph by a count of 54-38.
Brasa was 7-13 from the floor and 5-6 from the line, while recording her sixth double-double of the year in addition to two assists, two blocks and a steal for the Sharks. Senior forward Ashley McAdams (Freeport, N.Y.) registered her fourth double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds to go with three steals, while senior guard Jamie Zoldy (Watertown, Conn.) netted 16 points, pulled down four rebounds, handed out an assist and came up with a steal.
Junior forward Kayla Guest (Newington, Conn.) led the Blue Jays with 15 points and added six rebounds and a pair of steals, while junior guard Rajeen Mayo (Middletown, Conn.) dropped in 11 points, grabbed three boards, handed out a game-high six assists and ripped five steals.
Sophomore forward Diamond Wallen (Hartford, Conn.) made a lay-up with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter to pull Saint Joseph even at 45-45, but Simmons ripped off 15 unanswered points, including eight from Zoldy, to put the game out of reach at 60-45 with 4:49 to play in the game. First year guard Jessica Andrew (Lakeland, Fla.) later made one of two free throws to give the Sharks their largest lead of the night at 63-47 with 2:44 remaining in the contest. The Blue Jays scored the next five points to cut the deficit to 63-52 with 46 seconds left, but it was as close as they would get for the rest of the game.
Saint Joseph jumped out to an 11-7 lead with 4:10 left in the first quarter, but Simmons reeled off six straight points, capped by a three-pointer from sophomore guard Francesca Corsinetti (Johnston, R.I.), to take a 13-11 lead at the 2:15 mark of the period.
Sophomore guard Jada Lewis (East Hartford, Conn.) converted a lay-up with 25 ticks to go in the opening quarter to pull the Blue Jays even at 13-13, heading into the second quarter.
The Sharks scored the first eight points of the second period, including four from McAdams, to take a 21-13 advantage with 4:59 to go in the half. Saint Joseph trimmed the deficit to 23-20 with 2:34 showing in the period, before Zoldy later made a lay-up to give Simmons a 30-24 lead heading into the intermission.
The Sharks later maintained a 41-33 lead with 3:24 to play in the third quarter, before the Blue Jays closed out the period on an 8-2 burst, led by four points from Mayo, to pull to within 43-41 to start the final period of play.
Simmons returns to the court tomorrow when it travels to Standish, Maine to take on GNAC foe Saint Joseph's College (Maine) in the regular-season finale at 1:00 p.m., while Saint Joseph heads to Providence, R.I. on the same day to play Johnson & Wales University at 1:00 p.m.