WILLIAMSVILLE, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team was defeated by Middlebury College, 79-56, this afternoon on Day Two of the Shooting Touch Women's Basketball Tournament hosted by Williams College at Chandler Gymnasium in Williamstown, Mass.
The Lyons fall to 3-5 on the season, while the Panthers improve to 4-4.
Wheaton shot well in the game with a 48.9% (22-45) mark, including 6-9 (66.7%) from three-point range, but were hampered by 30 turnovers that translated into a 31-10 points off turnover advantage for Middlebury. The Panthers also controlled the glass with a 41-27 margin, including a staggering 20 offensive boards that Middlebury turned into 20 second-chance points against just two from the Lyons. The Panthers owned a 41.4% (29-70) shooting percentage for the game.
Sophomore forward Nasha Arnold (North Reading, Mass.) led Wheaton with nine points and added eight rebounds to go with three steals and a block, while sophomore guard Kiki Walters (Fleetwood, Pa.) contributed with eight points, two rebounds, two blocks, a pair of steals and two assists. Junior guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) chipped in with eight points on 4-7 from the floor in addition to handing out three assists.
Junior guard Alexa Mustafaj (Yonkers, N.Y.) was outstanding for Middlebury, leading all scorers with 31 points on 11-21 from the floor to go with a perfect 9-9 showing from the free throw line. She also added two rebounds, four steals and an assist. Junior guard Kale Tornwini (Burlington, Vt.) netted 14 points, pulled down nine rebounds, dished for three assists and came up with a pair of steals, while junior guard Augusta Dixon (Charleston, S.C.) scored 13 points, grabbed eight boards, recorded three assists, a steal and blocked three shots.
Mustafaj (six) and Dixon (five) combined for 11 straight points to give the Panthers a 17-8 lead with 3:41 to play in the opening quarter. The Lyons responded with eight of the next 10 points, including five from sophomore Madeline Duwe (Greenville, S.C.), who capped the stretch with a three-pointer to pull Wheaton to within 19-16 with 64 seconds left in the quarter. First year guard Tatum Young (Forsyth, Ill.) converted a layup just before the end of the quarter to keep it a one-possession deficit for the Lyons.
Arnold made a layup at the 8:20 mark of the second quarter to keep it a three-point deficit at 25-22 for Wheaton, but Middlebury ripped off the next eight points as part of a 15-5 stretch to give it a 40-27 lead with 1:23 remaining in the opening half. The Panthers took the 13-point advantage into the intermission.
Middlebury opened the second half with a 14-3 run, fueled by six points apiece from Tornwini and Mustafaj, to give the Panthers a commanding 54-30 lead with 6:15 showing on the third quarter clock.
First year forward Keeley Baglio (Hardwick, Mass.) drained a three-pointer at the 2:17 mark of the quarter to increase Middlebury's lead to 60-35, before the Lyons scored the final five points of the quarter to pull to within, 60-40, heading into the final quarter of play.
Arnold completed a three-point play with a free throw to cut the margin to 62-45 for Wheaton with 9:02 to go in the game. The Panthers took their largest lead of the afternoon, following a 14-4 stretch, paced by six points from Mustafaj, to take a 76-49 lead with 3:39 remaining in the contest.
Junior guard Sydney Ropes (Duxbury, Mass.) buried a three-ball for the Lyons with 15 seconds left in the game to set the final score at 79-56.
Wheaton returns to the court on Thursday, December 7 when it travels to Milton, Mass. to take on Curry College at 5:30 p.m., while Middlebury heads to Plattsburgh, N.Y. to play Plattsburgh State at 5:30 p.m. on December 6.
