For the first time in five years, the Emerson women’s basketball team entered the NEWMAC playoffs, facing the Salve Regina University Seahawks in the conference Quarterfinals. Despite a spirited fourth quarter and 38 points from junior guard Bri Frongillo, the Lions fell to the Seahawks, 93-87.
The Seahawks struck first with a layup and one of two free throws with under nine minutes to go. First-year guard Jessie Silk got the Lions on the board with a three-pointer with 8:11 left. After two more Seahawk baskets, another Silk three brought the Lions within one, 7-6, with 5:34 remaining. Salve Regina then went on a 12-2 run to take a 19-8 lead with three minutes to go. The Lions cut the deficit slowly but surely, and junior guard Bri Frongillo’s stepback three got the Lions down eight with over a minute remaining. Sophomore guard Kaylin O’Meara converted a layup with 20 seconds left to keep the deficit to single digits. Salve Regina led 28-19 at the end of the opening frame.
Sophomore guard Kendra Dodd drilled a three at the 8:16 mark to pull the Lions within five, 30-25. The Seahawks pulled away once more and led by ten with over four minutes remaining. Another Frongillo three brought the deficit back to seven with 3:08 to go. Salve Regina continued piling points from the paint and the free-throw line, leading by 15 when Frongillo canned another three with less than a minute left. After the Seahawks split a pair of free throws with six seconds left, Silk threw up a half-court heave that hit the backboard and found the bottom of the net as time expired. The Lions found themselves down ten, 49-39, at halftime.
Graduate forward Charlotte Levison and the Seahawks traded layups to open the second half, while Frongillo and Salve Regina traded threes moments later. The Seahawks still led 55-44 with 8:05 remaining, though Emerson got within single digits thanks to layups by Silk and Frongillo. But just as Emerson found a way to trim the lead, the Seahawks responded with timely buckets. Salve Regina’s lead grew to 16 with under four minutes left, but Emerson continued attacking the rim and drawing fouls. More free throws and layups got the Lions down ten with 2:16 remaining. Both teams traded buckets until the end of the period, Salve Regina leading 72-62.
The Lions came alive in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. After a Frongillo layup 20 seconds in, Levison stole the ball and swished a three with less than nine minutes left, making it a five-point game. The crowd roared as Silk drew a charge with 8:41 left, and after a technical foul on Salve Regina, Frongillo made one of two for a 72-68 deficit. Frongillo buried a pivotal three to make it a one-point game with 8:30 to go. Despite Salve Regina’s attempts to increase the advantage, the Lions remained on the prowl.
Levison swished her second three of the quarter to make it a 77-76 ball game with 5:30 remaining. After the Seahawks split a pair of free throws with 5:08 left, Frongillo made both of hers to tie the game at 78 with less than four minutes to play. The Seahawks then scored seven unanswered, including a three-pointer that was thought to be the dagger with 2:40 remaining. They proceeded to commit consecutive turnovers, leaving the door ajar for another Emerson comeback. Back-to-back steals and layups by O’Meara and Levison brought the Lions within two with 48 seconds to go. The game came down to free throws in the last 30 seconds. After Frongillo made a pair with 23 seconds remaining, Salve made both to hold a three-point lead. Frongillo missed a layup with ten seconds remaining, and the Seahawks put the game away with three free throws.
Frongillo’s 38 points came on 14/26 shooting from the field, including 5/10 from three. Silk tallied 20 points, nine rebounds and three assists, and Levison finished her Emerson career with 16 points, four steals, two blocks, two rebounds and two assists. As a group, the Lions shot 31/72 (43%) from the field, 11/33 (33%) from deep and 14/18 from the free-throw line (78).
The Lions’ 2024-25 campaign ends with a 16-10 overall record, including a 7-4 conference showing in the regular season.
