BABSON PARK, Mass.—Junior Bri Frongillo (Hopedale, Mass.) finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to help visiting Emerson College defeat Babson College, 78-62, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon inside Staake Gymnasium. 

Babson, which has dropped two of its last three games, slips to 8-7 overall and starts 0-1 in league play. Emerson has won back-to-back games to improve to 10-5 overall and 1-0 in the NEWMAC. 

Senior Katelyn Mollica (Foxborough, Mass.) scored 15 points and classmate Emily Flynn (Hanover, Mass.) added 11 points and seven rebounds to pace the Beavers. Fellow seniors Abby Miller (Millis, Mass.) and Kiara Simone Davis (Coral Springs, Fla.) both contributed eight points off the bench and sophomore Samantha Reale (North Attleboro, Mass.) matched her career high with seven offensive boards in the loss. 

Graduate student Charlotte Levinson (Atherton, Calif.) scored 19 points to go along with nine rebounds and a game-high five blocked shots, while sophomore Kendra Dodd (Tampa, Fla.) and first-year Jessie Silk (Newton, Mass.) both contributed 11 points for the Lions. Sophomore Claire English (Winchester, Mass.) also chipped in with 10 points as all five starters finished in double figures. 

Emerson shot 60 percent in the opening stanza and got three-pointers from Levison, Silk and Frongillo as part of an 11-0 run to build a 30-17 advantage with 6:34 to go in the second quarter. The margin was still 10 after a transition bucket by Silk, but Davis and Babson senior Camilla Silk (Medfield, Mass.) converted back-to-back three-point players, and Miller canned a three-pointer from the left wing to pull the Green and White back within 37-33 just before halftime. 

The Beavers scored on their first three possessions of the third quarter and were down just 55-50 after three-pointers by Mollica and Davis at the 3:58 mark but were unable to slow the Lions down. Emerson shot 68.8 percent and got 11 points from Frongillo and seven more from Levison while closing out the frame with an 11-4 run to push its lead to 66-54 going to the fourth. 

Babson got as close as 10 twice in the fourth quarter, the last coming at 68-58 on a hoop by Reale with 6:30 to play. Sophomore Elise Arnold (Los Angeles, Calif.) answered with a three-pointer though to spark a 10-2 burst that gave the Lions their largest advantage of the afternoon at 78-60 on a triple by Dodd with 2:28 remaining. 

The Beavers, who finished with a 41-36 edge on the glass, shot a season-low 30 percent from the floor and were limited to just 11 second-chance points despite grabbing 21 offensive boards. Emerson shot 52.5 percent from the floor and knocked down 10 three-pointers. The Lions also set a new season high with 11 blocked shots in the victory. 

Both teams return to action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. as Babson travels to No. 8/8 Smith, while Emerson hosts Wellesley. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 14-3 all-time against Emerson but has dropped two straight in the series. 
•    Just one of 17 games in the all-time series between Babson and Emerson has been decided by single digits. 
•    The Green and White has finished with at least 20 offensive rebounds in four of the last eight games. 
•    Flynn has now scored in double figures in seven consecutive games.