NORTON, Mass. – Senior forward Mireille Tona (Portland, Maine) scored a career-high 18 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team over visiting Regis College (Mass.), 76-45, this evening at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 2-6 on the season, while the Pride drop to 0-5.
The Wheaton defense was stifling, holding Regis to just 22.6% (14-62) shooting for the game, including 25% or lower in every quarter. The Lyons height advantage was a factor in the game with the Lyons dominating the glass behind a 52-37 rebounding margin. Wheaton also registered 11 blocked shots for the third-most in a game in school history. The Lyons corralled 18 offensive rebounds and owned an 18-9 scoring margin in second chance points. Wheaton shot 42.4% (28-66) from the floor. Both teams combined for 44 turnovers, including 24 miscues committed by the Pride.
Tona was extremely efficient for the Lyons, going 9-13 from the field to establish a new career best point total for the second straight game. She finished a rebound shy of her second consecutive double-double with nine rebounds and added five blocks to match her career high. Senior guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) netted 13 points to go with six rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block and classmate Greta Minos (Boston, Mass.) came off the bench to contribute with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 17 minutes of play.
Graduate student guard Courtney Doherty (Willimantic, Conn.) finished with 13 points to give her 997 for her career in addition to pulling down five rebounds for Regis, picking up two steals and handing out an assist. Junior forward Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) also netted 13 points to go with two rebounds and a steal, while junior guard Jordan Striggles (Raynham, Mass.) chipped in with 11 points and three boards.
Wheaton held the Pride without a point for the first 4:38 of play, before Zancan converted a layup with 5:22 left in the first period to cut the deficit to 3-2 for Regis. The Lyons put together an 11-5 stretch, paced by four points from Fernandes, to give the home team an early 14-7 cushion with 1:43 to go in the opening quarter. The Pride scored the final three points of the quarter, including a layup from Zancan to pull them within 14-10 at the end of the quarter.
Regis scored the first four points of the second quarter to knot the contest at 14-14 at the 9:06 mark of the second quarter, but it was as close as it would get for the game. Wheaton enjoyed a game-changing 18-3 run, including four points from junior forward Nasha Arnold (North Reading, Mass.), to take a 32-17 advantage with 2:33 left in the opening half. The Lyons never trailed in the game.
Like the first quarter, the Pride scored the final points of the second period to cut the margin to 32-21 at the intermission.
Regis shaved the deficit to single-digits when Doherty knocked down a jumper for the first points of the third quarter to make it 32-23 with 7:54 showing on the clock.
Wheaton increased its lead with an 11-3 outburst, led by four points from Tona, to take a 43-26 margin with 4:27 to go in the quarter.
Zancan sunk a pair of free throws to keep the Pride within 45-31 at the 3:44 mark, but the Lyons closed out the period with an 11-2 run, including four points from sophomore guard Mary McClintock (Essex Junction, Vt.), to inflate their cushion to 56-33 at the end of three quarters of play.
Doherty continued to chip away at 1,000 career points with a layup for the visitors coming 15 seconds into the final quarter to make it 56-35. Wheaton ripped off seven unanswered points, capped by a three-ball from Arnold, to bump the Lyons' lead to 63-35 with 8:18 remaining in the contest.
Wheaton maintained its advantage after Zancan canned two more free throws for Regis, but the Lyons scored the next five points to take their largest lead at 76-43 with 10 ticks left on the game clock.
Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, December 7 when it hosts Connecticut College for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off at Emerson Gymnasium, while the Pride travel to Williamstown, Mass. to take on Williams College on December 6 at 6:00 p.m.
