WORCESTER, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team fell to host Clark University (Mass.), 74-60, this evening in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at the Kneller Athletic Center in Worcester, Mass.

The Lyons dip to 9-9 overall and 1-3 in league action, while the Cougars improve to 13-5 and 3-1.

Clark shot 43.6% (24-55) from the field. Wheaton shot just over 40% at 40.7 (22-54), but turned the ball over 31 times in the game.

Sophomore guard Madeline Duwe (Greenville, S.C.) knocked down a trio of three-pointers as part of a 12-point effort and added two rebounds, two assists and a steal for the Lyons, while classmate Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) matched her with 12 points in addition to five rebounds and an assist. Sophomore forward Nasha Arnold (North Reading, Mass.) ripped down a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 11 points for her second double-double in addition to handing out an assist and blocking a shot.

First year guard Catherine Antwi (Lowell, Mass.) led all scorers with 25 points in 25 minutes for the Cougars and was 9-14 from the floor, while adding four rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists. Senior guard Jacqueline Faulise (North Kingstown, R.I.) contributed with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while senior forward Alaina Schatzabel (Kennebunk, Maine) netted 12 points in addition to four rebounds and a pair of steals.

Wheaton took an early 6-4 lead following an Arnold layup at the 6:31 mark of the opening half, before the home team scored nine of the next 11 points to take a 13-8 margin following a Faulise three-ball at 2:13. The Lyons answered with an 8-2 run, paced by four points from Arnold, to give them a 16-15 edge. Junior guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) kept Wheaton's one-point lead with a free throw with just 16 ticks before the end of the first quarter. 

Clark began the second quarter with a 9-2 burst to take a 25-19 lead with 5:51 showing on the second quarter clock. Fernandes later converted a free throw to pull the Lyons within 25-23 with 4:33 left in the quarter. The Cougars put together a 12-5 stretch, fueled by eight points from Antwi to increase the Clark advantage to 37-28 with 73 seconds left in the opening half. The Cougars took a 38-30 lead into the intermission.

Schatzabel converted a layup to give Clark a 45-38 margin, before Wheaton cut the deficit to just two with 1:25 showing, with a 9-4 run. Senior guard Emma Kiernan (Wayland, Mass.) fueled the stretch with five points. Senior guard Alexis Ross (Buena Park, Calif.) made a layup with 1:03 to go in the third quarter to give the Cougars a four-point lead heading into the final quarter of play.

Clark scored 12 of the first 16 points to open the period, capped by a three-pointer from first year guard Kailey Rios (Hesperia, Calif.) to give the Cougars a 63-51 cushion with 7:15 remaining in the contest. The Lyons ripped off six straight points to cut the deficit in half at 63-57 with 4:34 to play, but it was as close as they would get the rest of the way.

Clark effectively put the game away with an 11-2 blitz over the next four-plus minutes, receiving five points from Antwi, to take its largest lead of the night at 74-59 with 23 ticks left in the game.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, January 27 when it travels to Springfield, Mass. for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off with league rival Springfield College, while the Cougars host Emerson College on the same day at 2:00 p.m.