ELMS COLLEGE HOLDS OFF WESTFIELD STATE, 66-59
Blazers earn first win over Owls since 1990-91 season

Box score

WESTFIELD, MA, Dec. 4, 2007 - Elms College senior point guard Michelle Fernandes (Danbury, CT) poured in a collegiate career-high 22 points and the Blazers held off a furious comeback bid to pull out a thrilling 66-59 win over Westfield State in Tuesday night's non-conference women's basketball game at the Woodward Center.

With the win, Elms College snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 2-4 overall. Tuesday's win also marked the Blazers' first over the Owls since a 74-67 victory 16 years ago.

Westfield State, which leads the all-time series with Elms College 16-3, dipped to 3-4.

Fernandes was sensational for the Blazers, as she shot 5 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range, en route to her second career 20-plus point game. Her previous collegiate career-best was a 20-point effort against MCLA on November 18, 2005.

Elms College's defense was solid in the opening half, as the Blazers limited the Owls to just 24.0-percent shooting from the field (6 for 25) and built a 35-23 lead at intermission.

The Blazers, who led by as many as 15 three different times in the final four minutes of the first half, built their largest lead of the second half (50-36) following sophomore guard Annie Dunnack's (Mansfield Center, CT) 3-pointer with 10:30 remaining.

The Owls, however, roared back with a 21-7 run over the next 8:52 to tie the game at 57-57 with 1:38 remaining.

The Blazers, though, put the game away behind stellar free throw shooting from Fernandes, freshman guard Justine Tokas (Enfield, CT) and sophomore guard Ally Wanat (West Springfield, MA). The three combined to go 9 for 10 from the line in the game's final 1:18.

Westfield State received a team-high 11 points from junior forward Andrea Wasuk (Lenox, MA), while sophomore guard Sarah Boudreau (Tewksbury, MA) finished with 10 points as the only other Owl to reach double figures in the loss.

Dunnack added a season-high 11 points, including 3 of 4 shooting from beyond the arc for the Blazers.

Elms College returns to non-conference play on Thursday, December 6 against St. Joseph's (CT). Game time is 6:00 p.m. at the Maguire Center.