Yoshimura earns Key Largo Classic 'MVP' honors, while Jumaoas also lands on All-Tournament Team

TAVERNIER, Fla. - In their opening game against the University of Dallas, the week-long lay-off apparently did not faze the Newbury College Nighthawks. They quickly built up a 10-0 lead before Lady Crusader head coach Jina Johansen was forced to call her first time out.

Senior guard Morganna Machado (Attleboro, Mass.) was red-hot from beyond the arc in the first half, but Newbury was unable to pull away from Dallas. Machado's counterpart in blue freshman Lauren Jumaoas (Carrollton, Texas) was just as lethal from long distance, netting 12 of her team-high 18 points in the first.

Machado finished the game with a game-high 20 points while junior center Catherine O'Connell (Quincy, Mass.) followed up with 12 points and 16 rebounds, but it was not enough to stop the Lady Crusaders. Dallas took advantage of Nighthawk miscues netting 23 points off turnovers en route to a 64-52 victory.

On New Year's Day, Newbury was looking to tip-off the 2012 season with a win facing Cedar Crest College in the consolation game of the four-team tournament. These two teams already had a history heading into the Jan. 1 contest. The two institutions' softball squads squared-off in Orlando, Fla., two years ago, splitting the doubleheader.

The Falcons dominated the offensive glass in the early going, out rebounding the Nighthawks 25-21 -- including ripping down 12 boards on offense. However, momentum changed addresses late in the contest. Coming off the bench, senior forward Felicia Jones (Randolph, Mass.) snatched away an offensive rebound from the waiting hands of defenders then 10 seconds later pulled down a defensive board.

Despite trailing by six at the half, Jones two boards with under a minute to play proved to be the spark plug. When the Nighthawks returned to the court after halftime, they looked rejuvenated on defense. Sophomore Katie Haney (Winchendon, Mass.) was a force in the post, ripping down 10 boards while O'Connell came alive, pulling down nine of her team-high 13 rebounds, in the second.

However, it was White who was the catalyst on offense leading three in double figures, netting a team-high 14 points while O'Connell followed up with 12 points of her own. Senior guard Kendra Bannister (Washington, D.C.) atoned for a rough first day by nearly registering a double-double, dropping 10 points on the Falcons while dishing out seven assists.

The University of Dallas won the tournament with their late-game comeback over Suffolk University (Mass.). Lady Crusader junior guard Kylie Yoshimura (Temple City, Calif.) earned All-Tournament MVP honors, averaging 20.0 points in two games including netting 27 in a 69-67 victory over the Rams.

All Tournament Team

Kylie Yoshimura (MVP), University of Dallas
Lauren Jumaoas, University of Dallas
Jacqueline Vienneau, Suffolk University
Shayla White, Newbury College
Amber Wehry, Cedar Crest College

Story by: Lindsay Graham - Newbury College Sports Information Director