January 22, 2009
Eagles Hold Off Late Elms Charge, 72-67

Nashua – Nicole Conley (Hinesburg, Vt.) notched 16 points including five three pointers leading four players in double figures as the Daniel Webster College women’s basketball team held off a late charge and topped Elms College, 72-67 in an NECC matchup Thursday night at Mario Vagge Gymnasium.

The Eagles (7-7, 2-3) halted a two-game skid and held on after the Blazers (5-9, 3-2 NECC) stormed back from a 17-point second half deficit, closing to within four in the final moments.

Brian DeSeignora (Medfield, Mass.) knocked down 14 for the Eagles, while Vanessa Bosques (N. Windham, Conn.) added 12 and Alycia Gervais (Windham, Conn.) added 10.

The five treys from Conley fell one short of tying the all time program record for threes in game.

Amanda Brogna (Oxford, Mass.) led the Blazers with a monster effort around the basket, finishing with a game high 26 points and 14 rebounds including seven on the offensive glass. Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, Mass.) added 10 points, six assists and five steals, while Paige Shneider (Windsor, Conn.) nearly reached a triple double with eight points, nine boards and nine assists.

Elms came out strong in the early going, building an eight-point lead over the first 12 minutes, and led 27-19 before the Eagles rallied with a quick 8-0 run keyed by a three and a jumper from Ali Chojnacki (Erie, Penn.), who would finish with eight points.

The Eagles took their first lead on another Chojnacki trey with 2:06 to go in the first half and led 39-35 at the break.

The Eagles took seeming command over the opening nine minutes of the second while Elms went cold from the field, hitting just one of their first eight from the field. The result was a 17-3 run including four points from Gervais and five from Bosques for a 56-39 lead with 11:50 to play.

The Eagles held a 15-point edge (68-53) with 4:14 left, before Elms stepped up its defensive pressure forcing four turnovers in five possessions and Schneider hit two key jumpers in the lane helping whittle the lead to eight with a minute to play.

Conley hit one of two at the line for the Eagles and Blazer Tomie Lafond (Hatfield, Mass.) followed with a three with 23 ticks left. Jess Jurkowski (Belchertown, Mass.) would cut it to four on a jumper with 13 seconds left.

But Amy Nelson (Cheshire, Conn.) knocked down one of two at the line with nine seconds to go to clinch the Eagle victory.

The Eagles return to action Saturday closing out a four-game home stand hosting NECC foe Newbury College at 1:00 p.m.