Basketball Downed by Elms, 79-69

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Brianna Ferraro (Waterbury, Conn.) scored 19 points and Carlee Putnam (Niantic, Conn.) had 17, but the University of Saint Joseph basketball team dropped a 79-69 game to Elms College in a non-conference contest at Picknelly Arena Tuesday evening.

Elms improved to 5-4 overall on the season; USJ is 5-6.

Ferraro made 7 of 9 shots including going 3-for-3 on three-pointers to score 15 first-half points to help USJ to a 38-35 halftime lead. Putnam had two free throws, three minutes into the second half to put St. Joseph up, 44-40, but a 14-2 Elms run put the Blazers up 54-46 and they would not relinquish the lead. The Blue Jays continued to battle and got their deficit to a single point four times, the last at 67-66 on a Ferraro layup with 6:02 to play. But Elms then scored nine unanswered points to create breathing room and finished making 9 of 10 free throws.

Lindsay Feducia (Beacon Falls, Conn.) scored 13 points for USJ and she, Ferraro and Putnam all had season-highs in scoring. Putnam added a team-high seven rebounds. Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) had game-highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds for Elms and JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.) had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Elms outrebound USJ, 47-31.

The Blue Jays host Eastern Connecticut State Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m.