CHICOPEE, Mass. – Southern Vermont College fell in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's basketball action at Elms College Wednesday night, losing 78-39 at Picknelly Arena.
The Blazers went on a strong run in the end of second quarter to bring a 38-22 lead into the locker room, and they utilized the final 20 minutes to extend their separation for the win.
The Mountaineers (1-12, 1-7 NECC) are back at home on Saturday for their next game, hosting Regis College for a 1 p.m. NECC tilt. SVC will celebrate the American Cancer Society's Suits & Sneakers Week that day with all admissions proceeds going to support the ACS.
Southern Vermont senior captain Amber Dow (Panton, Vt.) and freshman Taylor Mallett (Berwick, Maine) each had nine points to tie the team-high— adding two and three rebounds, respectively. Freshman Sarah Poirier (Ferrisburgh, Vt.) had seven points and a team-leading 10 rebounds for a season high, and sophomore Amber Lesure (Cheshire, Mass.) added another seven points and a career-best nine boards; Poirier dished out three assists while Lesure had a pair and a career-high six steals in the effort.
Elms shot 40.2 percent (33-82) from field goal range while holding SVC to a 29.8 percent (14-47) clip. The hosts' bench outscored that of the visitors by a 21-10 margin, and EC pulled down a 58-33 advantage on the boards.
The Blazers went up 6-1 just a couple minutes into the game before a jumper by Mountaineer senior Abbi Molner (Wilmington, Vt.) cut it to a one-possession game. EC scored seven unanswered to go in front by double digits, only to see that streak end when Dow connected from outside the perimeter. Baskets were traded in the final minutes of the quarter with Poirier notching the last score— a field goal that made it an 18-10 lead for the hosts heading into the second.
Lesure made the most of the opening possession once play resumed, drilling a three to get SVC within five. Elms used a triple of its own to extend the separation back to eight, but Southern Vermont continued to keep it close with short-range baskets and successful free throws. Mallett knocked down a pair from the charity stripe midway through the stanza, and a Molner jumper then cut it to a 25-22 EC edge. The Blazers were able to close out the half with 13 unanswered points, however, keeping the Mountaineers scoreless in the final 3:50 of the second frame to go into the locker room on top 38-22.
Out of the halftime, Elms broke it open with a big surge in the third quarter. Dow answered a Blazer tip-in with a jumper at the other end in the early going of the period, but the Blazers then registered 20-straight points through the stanza to take a comfortable upper hand. Poirier and sophomore Sarahi Morillo (Yonkers, N.Y.) each hit one from downtown in the fourth to no avail as EC closed out the league victory.
– #LetsGoSVC –