Mazzarelli and Turner Take Home CACC Honors After Two-Win Week
New Haven, Conn. – (2/23/2015) – Finishing the season hard, Chestnut Hill College earned Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) wins over Georgian Court University and Felician College last week. Playing significant roles in the victories, freshman guard Nina Mazzarelli (West Chester, Pa.) and senior forward Tiffany Turner (Marlton, N.J.) were respectively honored with the league’s Rookie of the Week award and an Honor Roll mention.
Mazzarelli averaged 20.0 points-per-game (PPG), leading the Griffins with 23 bench points in a 77-60 win over the Lions and scoring 15 of her 17 points against Felician College during a furious five-and-a-half minute stretch that helped the Griffins build a healthy first-half advantage in a 76-68 CACC victory over the Golden Falcons. She also recorded six rebounds against the Lions and a steal in the game with the Golden Falcons.
Against Georgian Court University, Turner was the Griffins grindstone as she totaled 16 points and 13 rebounds for her tenth double-double of the season; the Griffins highest single-season double-double total since Andrea Carter's '07 12-double-double season of 2006-2007. Turner followed that effort with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals in the Griffins Senior Day triumph over Felician College.
It was only one point that separated the CACC rivals at halftime of Tuesday’s league game between Chestnut Hill College and Georgian Court University. The home side held a narrow 35-34 advantage after the opening 20 minutes, but in the second 20, the Griffins pulled away on the one-two connection of senior guard Tenisha Townsend-Mobley (Pleasantville, N.J.) and Turner, and the occasional long-range score from Mazzarelli. The Griffins lead reached its largest margin just before the final buzzer, 77-60 at 0:09, as a superior shooting effort (42.6%-35.5%) and more frequent visits to the charity stripe (20-of-27 (74.1%) – 4-of-10 (40.0%)) paved the way for Chestnut Hill College’s second win over the Lions this season and their best conference season under fourth-year Head Coach Laura Pruitt.
The rookie helped make sure the Chestnut Hill College women's basketball veterans had a Senior Day to remember as Mazzarelli’s five-and-a-half minute stretch paved the way for the Griffins senior quartet of guards Shayla Felder (Cheltenham, Pa.), Olivia Gorczynski (Parlin, N.J.), Townsend-Mobley, and Turner to combine for 50 points, 23 rebounds, eight steals, and seven assists after being honored in a pregame ceremony. Despite a late rally by visiting Golden Falcons, the hosts came away with a 76-68 victory, their fourth in five games.
With the latest triumph, Chestnut Hill College reached the 10-win mark for the first time since elevating to a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II program in 2007-2008. They close out the regular season on Tuesday, February 24, when they welcome Holy Family University to campus for an intra-city showdown.
