CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A hot first quarter propelled visiting Elms College past the Lesley University women's basketball team 88-49 in New England Collegiate Conference action tonight at the Nicholas Athletics Center.
Tonight was also Play4Kay night at the NAC as the Lynx teamed up with LU Cheer to help raise awareness and money for women's cancer research in honor of former North Carolina State University coach Kay Yow. Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, and passed away on January 24, 2009, after facing her third bout with the disease. With the creation of the Fund, Coach Yow hoped to raise money to further cutting-edge research conducted by the nation's top doctors and medical experts to allow more and more cancer patients to have access to experimental drugs and clinical trials. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Play4Kay or to make a donation, please click here.
Junior Alexandra Marques (Newington, Conn.) led a group of four Blazers who finished in double-figures with a team-best 19 points to go with seven boards. Sophomore Mackenzie LaRochelle (Chicopee, Mass.) came off the bench to provide a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds while freshman Erin O'Donnell (Glenmont, N.Y.) added ten points and five caroms, also in reserve duty. Junior Emily Burr (East Hartford, Conn.) filled the stat sheet with ten points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals and graduate student J.C. Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.) finished with nine points, eight boards, and four assists.
Lesley sophomore Theresa Pereira (Hopedale, Mass.) paced the hosts with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor while corralling six boards and dishing out a team-best four assists. Senior Ari Dimou (Manchester, N.H.) added eight points and four rebounds while sophomore Courtney Goggin (Cheshire, Conn.) poured in nine points. Junior Emily Meade (Derry, N.H.) grabbed a team-best seven boards and senior Hayley Wirth (Escondido, Calif.) came off the bench to add three points and six rebounds.
Marques scored seven of Elms' first 12 points as the Blazers sprinted out of the gate and raced to a 12-2 lead over the opening 5:01. A Pereira offensive rebound and put-back interrupted the Blazers run, but the guests would score seven of the final nine points to take a 20-6 advantage after the first quarter.
Trailing 27-8 at the 8:14 mark of the second, Lesley would use a layup from junior Hannah Levensailor (Ayer, Mass.) followed by a Goggin trey to cut the deficit to 27-13. Elms would answer with an 8-0 run capped by a Kayla Aberdale (Housatonic, Mass.) triple to push their lead to 35-13, before heading into halftime with a 39-17 edge.
The Blazers would continue to push in the second half, building a lead by as many as 43 before rolling to their third straight win.
Elms knocked down 43% (34-of-79) from the floor while holding the Lynx to just a 31% (18-of-58) clip. The Blazers also held a big advantage down low, outscoring the Lynx 52-18 in the paint while holding a 52-38 edge on the glass.
Lesley (1-20, 0-15 NECC) will next play on Saturday at Mitchell College at 3:00p while the Blazers will visit Regis College on Saturday for a 2:00p tip-off.