Women's Basketball Falls to Clark, 58-49

WORCESTER, Mass. - Junior sharpshooter Brooke Brennan (Weston, Mass.) scored a career-high 29 points and host Clark University used a hot three-point shooting effort as a team to post a 58-49 win over Worcester-area rival Anna Maria on Tuesday afternoon at the Kneller Athletic Center.

The win for the Cougars (2-3) snaps their three-game slide, while the AMCATS see their three-game winning streak go by the wayside and now sit at 3-2.

Brennan proved to be the story for the Scarlet and White as she shot an efficient 10-for-18 from the field and a sizzling 8-for-12 from behind the arc - falling just one three-pointer shy of the school record set by Meegan Garrity on two separate occasions with the most recent being during a 93-46 win over Worcester State on January 18, 1995.

Neither team shot particularly well in the opening 20 minutes as they combined to commit 23 turnovers, shoot 15-for-53 and went into halftime with the Cougars ahead, 26-21.

Brennan scored 12 of Clark's first 16 second half points and when she connected on triples on consecutive possessions, the Scarlet and White advantage stood at 42-33 with a little more than 12 minutes left to play.

Anna Maria made a push to get the lead down to three, scoring 12 of the next 18 points highlighted by a Deja Taitt (Jamaica, N.Y.) three-pointer and excellent finish on the break off of a pass from Kristina Russo (South Windsor, Conn.), making the score 48-45 with just under eight minutes to go.

Both teams went scoreless over the next three minutes until Sami Dokus (Littleton, Mass.) found Brennan open in the left corner for another three-pointer.

Trafficia Warburton (Worcester, Mass.) cut into the lead moments later with an easy inside hoop but the Cougars put the contest away when Brennan nailed another three and Victoria Russo (Arlington, Mass.) muscled home a hoop from the right block, bumping the Clark advantage to 56-47 with less than two minutes to go.

The Scarlet and White shot 10-for-20 from behind the arc as team and controlled the glass, outrebounding Anna Maria, 55-36.

That rebounding advantage helped cover up 29 turnovers that the AMCATS turned into 18 points. Anna Maria also held a 24-10 edge in points in the paint and a 17-11 advantage in bench points.

Warburton, who picked up two early fouls and only played nine minutes in the first half, still almost finished with a double-double, totaling nine points, ten rebounds and four steals in 27 minutes.

Tait led the visitors with 13 points, five assists, five steals and three rebounds, while Christina Gauvin (Dudley, Mass.) chipped in with ten points and Lindsay Bond (Charlton, Mass.) added eight points and seven boards.

In addition to her 29 points, Brennan added seven rebounds and three steals in her 36 minutes of action.

Russo, meanwhile, helped the Cougars control the interior, recording a career-high 11 rebounds and a game-best four blocks.

Clark is now off until next Wednesday when they open up New England Women's And Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play with a trip to Wheaton.

Anna Maria returns to the hardwood on Tuesday when they continue their three-game road trip with a visit to Brandeis.