Lyons push winning streak to five-straight games, off to best start since 1994-95 (5-0)

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Behind double-doubles from sophomores Rebecca Arnone (Litchfield, N.H./Campbell) and Kiley Shoemaker (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayettevile-Manlius), the Wheaton College women's basketball team pushed its winning streak to five-straight games with a 72-69 win over Smith College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup on Tuesday night at Ainsworth/Scotty Gym. 

Shoemaker posted her second-straight double-double with 12 points and a team-high 15 rebounds alongside five blocks and two assists. Arnone collected ten points including a 6-for-7 performance at the free throw line, 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal. Junior guard Laura Pierce (Hampstead, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) added 11 points, five rebounds and five assists while classmate Abbie Brickley (Sandy, Utah/Skyline) contributed 11 points, three boards and one block. 

Junior guard Kenzie Kuhn (Glenwood Springs, Colo./Glenwood Springs) led the Lyons in scoring off the bench with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field including a 4-for-5 showing from long range, five assists, three rebounds and one steal. 

Smith duo Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) and Paulina Solis (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) combined for 34 points (17 apiece) to guide the Pioneers offense. Freshman forward Jazmine Collins (Springfield, Mass./Sabis) chipped in with 11 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists. 

Wheaton held a 57-43 margin in rebounds, shot 42.6-percent (23-for-54) from the field and notched a 26-18 differential in bench points. Along with Kuhn's 15 points, sophomore forward Emily Romans (Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) turned in six points and also hauled in seven rebounds with five coming on the offensive glass. Classmate Alyssa Almario (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) also compiled five points and pulled down five caroms. 

The Lyons led by as many as 11 points early in the second half (17:54) on an old-fashioned three point play by Shoemaker before Smith eventually tied the score at 62-62 as freshman guard Mandy Castro (San Diego, Calif./Poway) converted a layup with 3:22 remaining in the contest. 

Wheaton responded with a 10-7 run down the stretch holding off several rallies by the Pioneers to claim its third conference victory of the season. Pierce paced the offense with five points, while Brickley had three points and Ferrari canned a pair of clutch free throws with 11-seconds to play to give the Lyons a 71-66 advantage. 

With four-seconds remaining, Solis made it a one-possession game banking home a three-pointer pushing Smith's deficit to 71-69. After Brickley converted one of two chances from the free throw line (72-69), Solis clanged a potential game-tying three-pointer off the back iron as time expired. 

Both teams will return to action on Wednesday, December 4. Wheaton (5-0, 3-0 NEWMAC) will host Emerson in a conference matchup, while Smith (1-3, 1-2 NEWMAC) will travel to Mount Holyoke. Both games will start at 7 p.m.

For the latest on Wheaton College Athletics, follow the Lyons via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.