THE BASICS 

Score: WPI 83, Emerson 63

Records: Emerson Lions (7-12, 2-2 NEWMAC) ; WPI Engineers (14-4, 4-1 NEWMAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. (Brown & Plofker Gym)

Date: January 28, 2023

The Lead: The Emerson women's basketball team was led by a team-best 16 points from junior Olivia Deslauriers followed by a pair of double-figure showings from senior Carla Pelino and junior Ella Bushee in the Lions' 83-63 setback to WPI on Saturday afternoon.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Deslauriers: 16 points

Pelino: 11 points, five assists, nine rebounds

Bushee: 10 points

Chelsea Gibbons: four steals

WPI

Alice Kelly: 21 points, 10 rebounds, two steals

Melanie Presseau: 17 points

McKenna Finken: 11 points

Emily Raynowska: 10 points, two blocks

Lisa Cristiano: two steals

Alex Scariati: nine assists

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Emerson was able to keep within single digits of WPI up until the 3:48 mark of the first when Finken dropped a three to push the Lions' deficit to 10 at 16-6. 
• Gibbons knocked down a triple to get Emerson back within seven, but WPI went on a 9-4 run to close out the first as the hosts trailed by 12 at 25-13. 
• At 7:50 of the second, Emerson faced their largest deficit at 15 (33-18) and continued to trail WPI by double figures over the next four minutes. After Bushee's trip to the free throw stripe at 3:01, Emerson went 10-4 down the stretch and got within seven at 41-34. 
• WPI got off one free throw with three ticks on the clock as Emerson went into the break down eight at 42-34.
• Bushee converted a perfect trip to the charity stripe at 7:06 followed by Deslauriers' triple and a layup from Pelino as Emerson pushed themselves back to a nine-point margin at 50-41 with 5:22 left in the third.
• Nine was the closest Emerson would come within WPI through the remainder of regulation as the Engineers outscored the Lions, 13-6, through the final five minutes with the score at 63-47 at the end of the third.
• Gibbons led Emerson in the fourth with six points as Emerson was held to shooting 25.0% from the field and finished 4-of-8 on the arc as the Lions fell to the Engineers, 83-63.

UP NEXT

• Emerson open up February play on Wednesday, February 2nd when they head out to No. 11/12 Babson with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m.