Second-Half Surge Powers Women’s Hoops to 59-44 Win Over Johnson & Wales

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene women's basketball team notched its second-consecutive victory Tuesday evening, downing Johnson & Wales 59-44 in non-league action at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

The Lions improve to 3-2 overall with the win while the Wildcats fall to 1-4 on the season.

Michelle Herrera (Santa Barbara, Calif.) poured in a game-high 11 points while adding four assists. Abbie Tonello (Bourne, Mass.) scored eight points and grabbed five boards on the night. Christina Saint-Pierre (Lantana, Fla.) recorded seven points and seven rebounds in the game. Jasmine Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif.) finished with career-highs of 10 boards, seven assists, four points and three blocks in the victory.

 The first half was closely contested as the two squads turned in seven tie scores in the opening 20 minutes.

Eastern Nazarene netted the game's opening bucket 2:37 into the contest as Saint-Pierre knocked down a jumper from the baseline.

Johnson & Wales grabbed its first lead of the game with 16:32 on the clock as Samantha Hendrick sank a basket to give the visitors a 3-2 edge.

The two sides traded baskets throughout the first frame. The Wildcats claimed the largest lead of the opening half, a four-point advantage after Kaitlin Kenney banked in a lay-up with 2:25 left to play to push the score to 24-20.

Nicole Greer (Odenton, Md.) knotted the score at 24-24 with 39 seconds remaining in the half. The visitors responded with a trey by D'Ana Rolle with six seconds on the clock to hold a 27-24 lead at the break.

The Lions were led by Katelyn Memory (Kiowa, Colo.) with six points as she connected on a pair of three-pointers in the first period. Greer, Herrera and Saint-Pierre all registered four first-half points while Johnson grabbed nine rebounds in the opening 20 minutes of play.

The hosts shot 31.3% from the floor in the first frame and 37.5% from beyond the arc. The Wildcats sank 30.6% of their field-goal attempts in the opening stanza, including 28.6% of their efforts from long distance.

Eastern Nazarene utilized an 11-0 run to seize a 40-31 advantage with 12:27 left to play in the game.

A lay-in by Jordan Grays (Elk Grove, Calif.) with 6:16 remaining awarded the Lions their first double-digit lead on the evening, a 49-38 margin.

The home team capped off the game with eight consecutive points to secure the 59-44 win.

Eastern Nazarene finished the contest with a field-goal percentage of 35.9% after shooting 40.6% in the second half. The Lions connected on 33.3% of its attempts from three-point range in the game.

Johnson & Wales was stymied in the second stanza as its was limited to just 12.0% shooting from the field as the Wildcats drained three shots on 25 attempts. The visitors concluded the game with a field-goal percentage of 23%.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene opens league play December 4 as it hosts the University of New England, the defending Commonwealth Coast Conference champions.