WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team was defeated, 66-48, by host Worcester Polytechnic Institute in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference game at Harrington Auditorium in Worcester, Mass. The Lyons dip to 5-10 overall and 0-4 in league play, while the Engineers have won seven of their last eight and improve to 14-2, including a perfect 9-0 at home and are now 3-1 in conference action. 

WPI was ouststanding from three-point range, hitting its long distance shots at a 50% (8-16) clip, while holding Wheaton to a 29.4% (15-51) mark from the field. The Engineers held a decisive 48-33 rebounding advantage and outscored the Lyons, 32-12, in the paint.

Senior guard Alexis Romer (Delray Beach, Fla.) led Wheaton with 12 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, and shot 3-6 from the floor, including 2-3 from three-point territory. She also added two rebounds, two steals and an assist. First year guard Greta Minos (West Roxbury, Mass.) chipped in with 11 points, including a trio of trifectas, to go with nine rebounds, three steals and an assist. First year guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) contributed with eight points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal.

Senior guard Melanie Presseau (Manchester, N.H.) knocked down five three-pointers as part of a game-high 20 points for WPI and added four steals and two rebounds to lead WPI. Senior center Lisa Cristiano (Valhalla, N.Y.) was 6-9 from the floor to net 12 points to go with seven boards and two assists. Senior guard Alex Scariati (Scotch Plains, N.J.) contributed with eight points, five rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals.

Fernandes hit a jumper at the 5:26 mark to give the Lyons their largest lead of the game at 9-5 in the opening quarter. Wheaton did not trail for any of the remainder of the quarter and owned a 15-13 lead after one quarter of play. 

The Engineers dominated the first five minutes of the second quarter, going on a 15-2 run, including six points from Cristiano, to take a 28-17 margin at 5:18 of the second session. WPI owned a 30-19 cushion at the 2:57 mark of the quarter, before the Lyons scored six of the next eight points to close out the half, fueled by a triple each from Romer and Minos to pull the visitors to within 32-25 at the break.

The Engineers scored the first eight points of the second half as part of a 21-7 stretch over the first nine minutes of the period to give them a 53-32 lead with 61 seconds to go in the third quarter. Presseau canned a trio of three-pointers to pace the home team, which took a 54-33 cushion into the final quarter of play.

WPI ripped off the first six points of the final quarter, including a free throw from sophomore forward Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, Conn.) to give the Engineers their largest lead of the night at 60-33 with 6:36 to play. Wheaton showed some fight over the final six and a half minutes of the game, outscoring WPI, 15-6, including nine points from Romer, to cut the deficit to 66-48 with 23 ticks left in the contest. 

The Lyons return to action on Saturday, January 29 when they travel to Worcester, Mass. for a 1:00 tip against NEWMAC foe Clark University, while the Engineers host conference opponent Emerson College at 3:00 p.m. on the same day.