Blazers Hold Off Vikings 65-53

SALEM, Mass. -- Angelica Peguero-Flores (Springfield, Mass.) connected for a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds as Elms held off Salem State 65-53 on Saturday afternoon at Twohig Gymnasium. The Blazers improve to 3-0 while the Vikings go to 0-2.   

Rahmia Johnston (Trumbull, Conn.) netted 11 points and had 11 boards and four steals for Elms while Sarah Evangelista (West Haven, Conn.) and McKenzie Huria (Terryville, Conn.) each chipped in with nine points apiece.

Gabby Torres (Peabody, Mass.) led Salem state with 13 points while Irianis Delgado (Lynn, Mass.) had 11 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) provided a solid line of nine points and 10 rebounds for the Vikings.

Elms shot 7-15 (46.7%) from the field in the first quarter as Peguero-Flores and Johnston scored six points apiece to propel the Blazers to a 16-10 lead.

Salem State drew to within three points, 23-20 following a made jumper by Gabby Torres (Peabody, Mass.). Torres, who poured in 11 first half points, cut the deficit to two with her fourth basket of the quarter, 29-27. Tied 29-all, Abigayl Sherbourne's (Auburn, Mass.) layup in the final minute gave Elms a 31-30 halftime advantage.

Elms shot 13-25 (52.0%) in the first half, paced by nine points by Peguero-Flores. Irianis Delgado (Lynn, Mass.) had eight first-half points for Salem State with seven rebounds as the Vikings held a 24-16 advantage on the glass.

Both teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm in the third quarter as the Vikings went nearly, five and a half minutes without a point as the Blazers clung to a 35-30 lead. A three by Tatianna Iacoviello (Revere, Mass.), made the score 41-38 with :21 seconds remaining in the third as the Vikings still had a chance with a strong fourth quarter showing. However, Elms opened up an 11-point margin in the fourth after a three by Evangelista. A 3-for-10 (30%) effort to open the quarter, hindered Salem State's comeback attempt as the Blazers maintained a double-digit lead for most of the period before pulling away for a 65-53 victory.