Women's Basketball Defeats Rivier for Second-Straight Victory

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College Women's Basketball team hosted Rivier University for a conference game on Tuesday evening at Picknelly Arena for their final home contest of the regular season.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 62 | Rivier University 43
Records: Blazers 8-16, 4-7 (GNAC) | Raiders 2-21, 2-8 (GNAC)

PRIOR TO THE GAME

The Elms College Men's and Women's Basketball teams came together to host the Third Annual Fight Like a Kid Childhood Cancer Awareness Game to join in solidarity for those impacted by childhood cancer, honoring Gretel, a 15-year old leukemia warrior. When spectators came in today, they were provided with more information to learn about the Fight Like a Kid Foundation.

If you are interested in donating, please click the link below.

https://www.fightlikeakidfoundation.org/

HOW IT HAPPENED

The conference game would start by Rivier with possession, but they would fail to score after sophomore forward/guard Mary Turco (Winthrop, Mass.) would block a layup attempt and that would lead to a layup by Talia Uribe (South Hadley, Mass.) for the first basket of the game. Elms would control the game on both ends of the court, seeing junior forward Tatiana Pereira (Providence, R.I.) and first year guard Sanaii Diaz (Worcester, Mass.) each record a steal, a pair of free throws, a layup, a steal, and a second block by Turco, and a tip-in from first year Malinna Figueroa (Waterbury, Conn.), to earn a 8-0 lead. In their next possession, the Raiders would score their first basket, but the Blazers would continue to extend their lead, with assistance from a tip-in by Turco and four free throws from Figueroa. Rivier would add a four points to their score, but as the quarter neared its end, Diaz would make a layup, a steal, and a pair of free throws, Figueroa and Uribe each recorded a steal, and Pereira made a layup to keep the lead, 20-11, at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter would see the two conference opponents trade possession early, with steals by Turco and Pereira, until Pereira would make a jump shot. As the quarter would continue, the Raiders would make a pair of jump shots, but Elms would continue to keep momentum on their side with a Turco free throw, a layup from Figueroa, and a steal by senior guard Kelly LeBel (Tolland, Conn.). Then with under five minutes remaining in the quarter, Rivier would rally and bring the score to within four points, but not before Diaz would make a layup. Then as the halftime break neared, Diaz would add a pair of layups, including one that began with a steal that would lead to a breakaway layup. The Raiders would look to take their first lead of the game with less than a minute remaining, but the Blazers would hold on to their lead, 31-28, going into the break.

The third quarter would once again see Rivier with early possession, but Elms would score first, with a layup by Turco and a free throw from Uribe. As the quarter would continue, the Blazers would look to keep their lead, with Diaz making another steal, a Uribe free throw, followed by a jump shot from Pereira and a trio of layups by Turco. Then as quarter neared its end, Elms would keep their lead alive, with the help from another steal by Diaz that would lead to a layup from first year guard Aniah Glover (West Haven, Conn.), followed by a Turco steal that would lead to a Figueroa layup, and a block by Turco. In the final minutes of the quarter, the Blazers defense would see Diaz and Uribe record steals to maintain their 47-32 lead. The fourth and final quarter would start with Pereira drawing a foul and would make both of her free throw attempts. Uribe would make two layups, including a three-point play, Pereira would make another pair of free throws, and Turco would hit a jump shot midway through the quarter. In the final minutes of play, Elms would extend their lead further with assistance from a layup and a tip-in by Turco, along with Uribe adding a steal. Rivier would make one last basket with under a minute of play, but when the clock expired, the Blazers would defeat the Raiders 62-43 for their second-straight victory in their final home contest of the 2025-26 regular season

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Turco - 21 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and two assists.

• Diaz - ten points, seven steals, a rebound, and an assist.

• Pereira - ten points, three rebounds, and two steals.

• Figueroa - ten points, three rebounds, and a steal.

• Uribe - ten rebounds, nine points, three steals, and an assist.

• LeBel - four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

• Glover - two points and two rebounds.

• Watford - two rebounds.

• Mildner - a rebound.

• Wasiewicz - a rebound.

UP NEXT: The Elms College Women's Basketball team will wrap up the 2025-26 regular season in Northfield, Vt. on Saturday, February 21st at Norwich University in a conference matchup at 1 pm.

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