Bay Path Bids Farewell To Hunt, Cimmino, Rodrigue and Calabrese with a 60-44 Loss to Elms

CHICOPEE, Mass.--Despite an incredible last game effort by senior forward Jessica Hunt (Madison, Conn.), Bay Path rounded out their 2009-10 campaign with a 60-44 loss to Elms in the final regular season New England Collegiate Conference game. Hunt outscored all players finishing her collegiate career with 25 points and 11 rebounds for her 37 minutes of play.

Head Coach RJ Toner made the final minute substitutions for all four seniors granting them their final goodbye from the Wildcat fans bringing them to their feet.  Forward Ashley Cimmino (Westfield, Mass.), center Kathleen Rodrigue (West Stewartstown, N.H.) and guard Christina Calabrese (Hamilton, N.J.) along with Hunt each concluded their collegiate play.

Elms, who hosted the home game for Bay Path , honored four departing seniors prior to the game including guard Annie Dunnack (Mansfield Center, Conn.), guard Jessica Jurkowski (Belchertown, Mass.), forward Erin Hutchinson (Groton, Mass.) and forward Amanda Brogna (Oxford, Mass.).

Bay Path did a good job sticking close with the Blazers during the first twenty minutes of play. The Wildcats could only bring it to within five points during the first half, with their final push at 5:14 left. Hunt hit two from the charity stripe to bring the score to 18-23.

The Blazers' sophomore guard Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, Mass.) would nail one of her three treys to push the advantage back up to eight points. Talmadge would finish leading Elms with 16 points and adding four assists.

Bay Path would come back from half-time with a spark cutting the lead to only four 24-30 after Rodrigue hit a lay-up and Hunt would sink two more from the line. Unfortunately, Elms would continue to go on an 11-3 run with sophomore guard Katie Condon (Sandy Hook, Conn.) taking two from the stripe to start Bay Path's fall. Condon had 14 points and seven rebounds. Jurkowski also hit double figures with 11 points.

Calabrese would answer back with a jumper off a nice dish inside by junior guard Katie Begin (Weare, N.H.). Calabrese would finish with six points, five boards, four assists and two steals. Cimmino would lead all defenders with the game high 12 rebounds.

Bay Path concludes their season 5-19 and 2-14 in the NECC. Elms advances to a 9-7 final conference record and 10-15 on the season heading into post-season hosting the quarterfinal round of the 2009-10 NECC Women's Basketball Championships. The #4 seeded Blazers will host the #5 seeded Becker on Tuesday, February 23 at a time TBD.