MARRO LEADS PRIDE INTO FIRST NECC CHAMPIONSHIP

WESTON, Mass. – Led by sophomore guard Emilee Marro's (Bedford, N.H.) 15 points and nine rebounds, the Regis College women's basketball team defeated the Eagles of Daniel Webster College in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Semifinals, 52-42. With the win, the Pride avenged last season's Semifinals loss to the Eagles and advance to the program's first NECC Championship game tomorrow afternoon. Regis improves to 22-4 with the win, while Daniel Webster ends their season at 14-13.

The Pride jumped to a quick 10-2 run to open up the first half, with four points each coming from Marro and junior Claire Ramonas (Portland, Maine). Following a Daniel Webster timeout, the Eagles began to turn things around, fueled by the stellar individual performance of Vanessa Bosques (Windham, Conn.).

Bosques hit her first three pointer of the half to cut the lead to 19-13. The graduate student continued to pour in the points, finishing with 21 in the first half alone. Marro hit a layup at the 3:26 minute mark to make the score 27-20, but the Eagles responded with a 9-0 run down the stretch.

Bosques, who finished the half a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line, sank two free throws at the 1:16 mark to give the visitors their first lead of the night, 29-27. Ramonas scored a layup in the waning seconds of the half to knot the score, and both teams entered the locker rooms deadlocked at 29-29.

The second half proved to be a defensive battle, as both teams struggled to create much offense. Emily Travis (Somerset, Mass.) knocked down a jumper and Ashley Giampetruzzi (Manchester, N.H.) hit two free-throws, as Daniel Webster opened up play with a 4-0 run to take a 33-29 lead over the Pride.

The Crimson & Gold regained the lead at the 15:08 mark following a layup by Monet Lowe (Framingham, Mass.), which sparked a 7-2 run as the Pride pushed their lead to 41-37 with 8:14 remaining in regulation. The Eagles would not bow down, and Bosques scored five unanswered points to put Daniel Webster ahead, 42-41 with just over five minutes to play.

Senior Sabree Rodriguez (Brockton, Mass.) began to take over the game, sinking a jump shot to put Regis back ahead, 43-42. Following a timeout by the Pride to regroup, Rodriguez sank a jump shot and a three-pointer to cap a 7-0 individual run and push the score to 48-42. Ramonas and Marro each scored two points apiece down the stretch, as the Pride held on for the 52-42 win.

Marro added two steals to go along with her 15 points and nine rebounds, while Ramonas finished with a huge 12 points, eight rebounds, five steals, and four blocks for the Pride. Rodriguez would end the game with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.

Bosques had a game-high 28 points in the losing effort, and also recorded five rebounds and one steal. Giampetruzzi chipped in with seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and ten points on 4-for-7 shooting for the Eagles.

The Pride will face Elms College in the NECC Championship game, which is slated for tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Elms defeated Becker College, 63-51 in the second Semifinal game of the night to advance.