NORTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team was defeated by visiting Endicott College, 80-61, this evening at Emerson Gymnasium in the season opener for both teams on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons dip to 0-1 on the season, while the Gulls improve to 1-0.

Endicott shot 53.2% (33-62) from the floor and owned a commanding 43-25 rebounding advantage, while holding Wheaton to just 39.3% (24-61) from the field. 

Junior forward Cheyenne Colbert (Brookline, N.H.) erupted for a career and game-high 20 points on 7-11 shooting, including a perfect 4-4 from three-point range and added four rebounds to lead the Lyons. Senior guard Kiki Walters (Fleetwood, Pa.) netted 17 points and missed just one of eight field goal tries to go with four rebounds, three assists and three steals. 

Junior guard Emma Shinney (Wakefield, Mass.) led the Endicott College women's basketball team with 19 points as one of five players in double digits for the visitors in an 80-61 victory over Shinney was 9-17 shooting and added 13 rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals, while first year guard Aleah Bracey (New Bedford, Mass.) netted 14 points on 6-11 from the floor to go with six boards for the Gulls. Junior guard Sofia Mazzotta (Billerica, Mass.) contributed with 14 points on 4-6 from the floor to go with four rebounds and a steal in 21 minutes off the bench and junior forward Sarah Shaw (Southwick, Mass.) netted 12 points on 5-9 from the field in addition to five assists, three rebounds and a trio of steals.

Colbert and Walters hit three-balls to lead Wheaton to an early 6-2 lead just two and a half minutes into the game, before Colbert knocked down another triple with 5:57 showing in the first quarter to give the Lyons a 9-8 edge. It was the home team's final lead of the night. 

Endicott went on a commanding 12-2 stretch, behind six points from Mazzotta, to take a 20-11 advantage with 46  ticks left in the quarter and never looked back. The visitors took a 21-13 lead into the second period.

Shinney drilled a three-pointer to open the quarter and give the Gulls a 24-13 cushion, but Wheaton battled back with a 9-2 burst, backed by seven points from Colbert to cut the deficit to 26-22 with 6:40 left in the period. The Lyons stayed within 28-24 after a put back from first year forward Darlene Tashobya (Kampala, Uganda) with 5:55 remaining in the quarter. Endicott got its lead back to double digits after a trey from Bracey to make it 36-26, but Wheaton scored five of the final six points of the period, including a free throw from Tashobya, to set the halftime score at 37-31. 

The Gulls put the game away, outscoring their hosts, 25-8, over the first eight-plus minutes of the third quarter, led by six points from Shinney, to take a 62-39 lead with 1:48 left in the quarter. Sophomore guard Daniella MacDonald (Newtown, Pa.) canned a three-pointer to pull the Lyons within 62-42 with 53 ticks left in the quarter.

Bracey converted a lay-up to give Endicott its largest lead of the fourth quarter at 66-44 with just over nine minutes to play in the game. Wheaton put together an 11-5 run, capped by four points from Walters, to make it 71-55 with 4:35 showing on the fourth quarter clock, but it was as close as the Lyons would get for the remainder of the contest.

Wheaton travels to Bristol, R.I. on Wednesday, November 12 to play Roger Williams University at 6:00 p.m., while the Gulls return to action on November 10 when they head to Boston, Mass. to take on Emerson College at 7:00 p.m.