NORTON, Mass. — Sophomore guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) netted 16 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team to a 61-41 victory over visiting Curry College this evening at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. 

The Lyons win their fifth straight game for their longest win streak since the program won eight in a row during the 2014-15 campaign. Wheaton improves to 6-1 on the season for its best start to a campaign since 2013-14. The Colonels dip to 4-2 on the season.

The Lyons held their guests to a season-low 21.4% shooting from the floor and allowed just nine made field goals for the game on 42 attempts, while holding the Colonels without a made field goal in the second quarter and just one in the third period. Wheaton also controlled the paint with a 42-29 rebounding advantage and a 32-12 scoring margin within the blocks.

Fernandes was 7-13 from the floor and added three rebounds, three steals, an assist and a blocked shot for the Lyons. First year forward Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) netted 10 points for her third straight double-digit scoring effort and fifth in seven collegiate games to start her career. She was 5-8 from the floor in addition to pulling down four rebounds in 16 minutes of action. Sophomore guard Greta Minos (Boston, Mass.) contributed with nine points on 3-5 from the field to go with three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block and first year guard Madeline Duwe (Greenville, S.C.) came off the bench to chip in with eight points, three rebounds and a pair of assists in 16 minutes of play.

First year guard Lauren Dunn (Hanson, Mass.) matched her career high with 19 points on 5-9 from the floor to go with two steals, a block and a career-high nine rebounds for Curry. Sophomore guard Kylie McCarthy (Beverly, Mass.) chipped in with five points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal.

For the second straight game, Wheaton never trailed in the game and has not faced a deficit against an opponent in its last 118:03 of play. 

The Lyons opened the game with a 10-2 run, paced by four points each from Keyter and Minos. Dunn capped a 7-2 response from the Colonels with a layup to pull them to within 12-9 with 2:13 left in the opening quarter. It was the closest the visitors would get for the remainder of the evening.

Wheaton claimed a 14-10 margin heading into the second quarter of play. 

The Lyons wasted no time establishing control of the contest with six unanswered points to start the second period with a 20-10 lead with 6:59 showing in the quarter. Wheaton maintained a 23-13 advantage, highlighted by a three-pointer from first year guard Kiki Walters (Fleetwood, Pa.) to keep the lead at double-digits with 4:12 to go in the quarter. 

Curry cut the margin to six points following a pair of successful free throws from both McCarthy and Dunn to make it 23-17 with 2:41 remaining in the second quarter. The Lyons closed out the half with eight of the final nine points, including four from Fernandes, to take a 31-18 halftime cushion. 

Wheaton put together a 16-6 stretch to open the third quarter, receiving points from seven different players, to increase its lead to 47-24 with 4:04 to play in the period.

Dunn later knocked down a pair of free throws to pull the Colonels to within 50-29 with 71 seconds to play in the quarter, but the Lyons converted four straight free throws to take a 54-29 lead into the final quarter of action.

Dunn made a layup just 22 seconds into the fourth quarter, but Wheaton scored the next five points, including a three-pointer from Duwe to give the home team its largest lead of the night at 59-31 with 7:48 showing on the fourth quarter clock. The Lyons were relatively quiet for the rest of the evening as Curry closed out the game on a 10-2 run, fueled by seven points from Dunn, to set the final score at 61-41.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, December 3 when it hosts Salem State University at 1:00 p.m., while the Colonels head to Boston, Mass. to take on nearby Wentworth Institute of Technology tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m.