Women’s Hoop Rallies For Crucial Road Victory

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Regis College erased a seven-point halftime deficit and then made plays on both ends of the floor down the stretch to defeat Elms College, 73-68, Wednesday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball game at Picknelly Arena.

Courtney Doherty (Willimantic, Conn.) led the Pride with 20 points and four steals, plus she was one of five Regis players with three assists. Jordyn Striggles (Raynham, Mass.) finished with 13 points and five steals, while Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) notched her 11^th double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Erika Marinelli (Point Pleasant, N.J.) contributed 10 points, and Haley Lightbody (Reading, Mass.) added seven points and eight rebounds.

After being held scoreless in the first half, Zancan started to work the low post in the third quarter, scoring nine straight Pride points midway through the period, including a traditional three-point play to give Regis a 41-40 lead. Jade Lewis hit a jumper and Jenny Gorski made two free throws to put the Blazers back on top, but a layup by Marinelli and a three-pointer from Kailyn Smith (Chelmsford, Mass.) right before the buzzer allowed the Pride to bring a 46-45 advantage into the fourth quarter.

In a game that featured seven ties and 12 lead changes, several of those instances took place in the fourth quarter as the two teams traded points, including a group of three-pointers midway through the period that seesawed the lead. With 1:39 left in regulation, Lightbody found Marinelli under the basket for a layup to put the Pride on top, 67-65, and then Zancan hit a free throw after an exchange of turnovers.

Lewis tied the game at 68-68 with 45 seconds remaining with a three-pointer, but Doherty answered with her own long distance basket from the corner 15 seconds later. After Elms missed a chance to tie the game, Marinelli was fouled and made two free throws to extend the Pride advantage, and then Lightbody, the GNAC leader in steals entering the game, was credited with her only steal of the game to close out the contest.

Julianne Liebow led the Blazers with 18 points and six steals to go along with six rebounds, while Lewis finished with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Rahmia Johnston notched a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds as Elms won the rebounding battle, 35-31.

Regis scored the first three points of the game before Elms answered with six straight points, including a three-pointer from Liebow, to pull ahead two minutes into the contest. The Pride retook the lead later in the first quarter on three-pointers by Striggles and Doherty, followed by a Doherty layup to give Regis a 13-11 advantage heading into the second quarter.

After a layup by Lewis tied the game at 13-13, the Pride rattled off nine unanswered points, capped by an offensive rebound and putback by Doherty. The Blazers put together a 17-3 scoring run over the next four-and-a-half minutes, including a three-pointer by Lewis to put Elms on top.

Smith converted a traditional three-point play, but Elms responded with the final five points of the first half, punctuated by a steal and layup from Liebow as time expired, to give the Blazers a 35-28 advantage at halftime.

As a team, the Pride shot 40.9 percent (27-for-66) from the field, including 8-for-17 from behind the three-point line, and 73.3 percent (11-for-15) from the free throw line. Regis scored 26 points off 25 Elms turnovers as it continually pressed the Blazer offense.

Regis College (8-14, 6-5 GNAC) hosts Albertus Magnus College Saturday, Feb. 10, starting at 1 p.m. at Higgins Court.