Shoemaker scores team-high 22 points in loss

BRISTOL, R.I.  – Roger Williams shot 50.0-percent (25-for-50) from the field en route to a 68-61 win over the Wheaton College women's basketball team on Tuesday night in non-conference action night inside the Campus Recreation Center.

Lyons' junior forward Kiley Shoemaker (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) guided the squad offensively with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, which included a 6-for-6 performance at the free throw line, alongside nine rebounds, one block, an assist and one steal in 33 minutes off the bench. Classmate Rebecca Arnone (Litchfield, N.H./Campbell) added 14 points (4-for-8 from 3-point range), four assists and four steals, while first-year Oppie Morris (Ware, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) had a career-high ten points and also hauled in eight rebounds (four offensive).

Roger Williams' first-year forward Mariah Nicholas (Acushnet, Mass./Fairhaven) led all scorers with a career-high 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor and also collected five rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 31 minutes of playing time. Angelica Ariola (Prospect, Conn./Holy Cross) and Emma Klis (East Northport, N.Y./Elwood-John H. Glenn) combined for 32 points – 16 each – while Bridget Quilty (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) registered six points off the bench to highlight the scoring efforts for the Hawks on the night.

Trailing 32-26 at halftime, Wheaton eventually tied up the game at 50-50 with 6:28 remaining in the contest on a lay-in by Shoemaker off of a feed by senior point guard Laura Pierce (Hampstead, N.H./Pinkerton Academy). The Lyons outscored Roger Williams 24-18 during the opening 13:32 of the second stanza receiving baskets from seven different scorers including eight points from Shoemaker to even the contest.

Arnone followed with a three-pointer at the 5:33 mark on a nice pass by Morris to give Wheaton its first lead since Morris delivered the visitors a 13-12 advantage with 12:26 remaining in the opening half. The Hawks responded with a 14-6 run during the ensuing 3:55 of action to take a 64-59 margin on the scoreboard. Klis fueled the spurt with six points on a pair of treys, while Nicholas compiled four points and Ariola and Quilty went 2-for-2 from the free throw line, respectively.

Roger Williams went on to close out the matchup at the free throw line going 4-for-6 at the charity stripe, which featured a 3-for-4 showing from Ariola.

Wheaton held a slight, 28-26, differential in points in the paint, and tied in the rebounding matchup with 32 boards apiece. The Hawks turned in a 21-13 margin in points off turnovers, while the Lyons had a 9-6 advantage in second chance points.

Wheaton (5-5) hosts Mount Holyoke College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup on January 3 at home with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m. Roger Williams (5-5) welcomes Eastern Nazarene to its campus on January 6 at 5:30 p.m.

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