THE BASICS 

Score: Emerson 76, New England College 69

Records: Emerson Lions (6-10) ; New England College Pilgrims (7-8)

Location: Henniker, N.H. (Bridges Gymnasium)

Date: January 16, 2023

The Lead: The junior duo of Ella Bushee and Olivia Deslauriers cashed in a combined 46 points to help pace the Emerson women's basketball team to their third straight win in a 76-69 victory over New England College on Monday night.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Deslauriers: 20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals

Bushee: 26 points

Chelsea Gibbons: 10 points, three steals

Devin Hill: four assists

NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE

Ericka Pratt: 13 points, 14 rebounds, six steals

Kathleen Rodriguez: 12 points, two blocks

Makiah Scott: 11 points

Asia Jones: three assists

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Bushee and Gibbons racked up a combined 16 points in the first quarter to help Emerson snag the nine-point 22-12 lead. 
• With 3:38 gone in the opening frame, Emerson was able to hold New England to a mere two points and snagged the nine-point lead on an 11-2 run that was capped on Hill's jumper. 
• After being held off the board for nearly four minutes, the Pilgrims used a 9-2 run and seven points from Scott to narrow the Lions' advantage down to two at 13-11 with 2:28 left to play in the quarter.
• Emerson's two-point lead was soon extended for a bucket from Bushee kickstarted a 9-1 run through the remaining 2:17 and gave the visitors the 22-12 lead. 
• 47 seconds into the second frame saw Emerson jump into a double-digit cushion at 10 after Deslauriers sent up a layup (24-14). Despite New England closing in within single digits three times, Emerson came out of the stanza with a 12-point cushion. (40-28)
• Bushee's eight points paced Emerson within the third quarter as the Lions were outscored by two, 19-17, yet still kept a hold of the 10-point 57-47 advantage to close the frame.
• Deep into the third is when New England tallied a quick four points from 2:46 to 2:29 and closed the margin to six at 49-43 on Pratt's layup (49-43). 
• A layup from Bushee followed by sophomore Mackenzie Bruno's trip to the free throw stripe put the Lions back up 10 with the score moved to 53-43 with 1:45 on the clock. 
• The Pilgrims inched back within eight through the final 1:05 as Deslauriers converted a perfect free-throw trip with the score sat at 57-47 to wrap the third. 
• A 6-0 streak opened New England's fourth frame and used the first 1:04 to turn Emerson's 10-point lead into a four-point advantage at 57-53 at 8:55. Perhaps the Pilgrims' biggest opportunity to take over came at the 5:16 mark after Rodriguez's layup moved the hosts to within three. (61-59)
• New England stay on Emerson's heels through the final five minutes of regulation despite the Lions' six-point lead at 4:53 and once again inched within a trio on a free throw. 
• Emerson took to the charity stripe in the quarter's last 1:23 and iced the victory when Deslauriers sank a pair of free throws within six ticks on the clock.

UP NEXT

• Emerson returns home on Wednesday, January 18th for their NEWMAC home opener hosting Wheaton (Mass.) at 7:00 p.m.