NORTON, Mass. – Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball was downed by visiting Wellesley College, 68-53, this evening in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons slip to 7-15 overall and 3-5 in NEWMAC play, the Blue improve to 7-14 and 2-6.
Wellesley made its living at the free throw line, sinking 26 of 35 attempts (74.3%), while Wheaton attempted just five tries, while making four (80%). The Blue shot 38.5% (20-52) from the floor and owned a 37-29 rebounding advantage, which translated to a decisive 12-2 second chance points advantage. Wellesley committed just 11 turnovers as well and took advantage of 21 Lyon miscues with an 18-10 points off turnover disparity. Wheaton shot 38.5% (20-52) for the game.
Junior forward Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) netted 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, came up with three steals and handed out an assist for the Lyons. Sophomore guard Mary McClintock (Essex Junction, Vt.) scored 11 points, pulled down three rebounds and dished for two assists, while classmate Cheyenne Colbert (Brookline, N.H.) chipped in with eight points, five rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocked shots.
First year forward Ava Shane (Plano, Texas) (20) and sophomore guard Trinity Barrow (Evans, Ga.) (18) combined for 38 points to lead the Blue. Shane matched her career-high to score 20 points for the second time in as many games this season and was 12-16 from the free throw line. She added eight rebounds, two steals and an assist, while Barrow posted her fourth double-double of the year with 18 points and a personal-best 10 rebounds to go with four assists, three steals and a blocked shot. First year guard Stacy Chen (Minneapolis, Minn.) contributed with 11 points and two boards.
Wheaton held a 30-28 lead at halftime, but Chen knotted the game with a layup 39 seconds into the third quarter and scored four more unanswered points to give Wellesley, which did not trail for the remainder of the evening, a 34-30 lead at the eight-minute mark.
The Lyons scored five of the next six points, including a Colbert trifecta and a Keyter jumper, to pull even at 35-35 with 6:55 left in the third quarter. The Blue put together a 9-4 stretch in just under four minutes, paced by four free throws from Shane, to give the visitors a 44-39 margin with 3:07 to go in the period. Junior guard Kennis Jasperson (Sacramento, Calif.) drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 44-42 with 2:16 to play for Wheaton, but Wellesley scored the final four points to take a 48-42 advantage into the final quarter of play.
The Blue maintained a 50-44 lead after two more Shane free throws, before McClintock buried a three-ball at the 8:18 mark of the quarter to make it 50-47. It was as close as the Lyons would get for the remainder of the contest. Wellesley ripped off nine straight points, including five from Barrow, to increase its lead to 59-47 with 5:20 showing on the fourth quarter clock. The Blue maintained a 63-53 cushion with 1:40 to go, before closing out the game with the final five points for a 15-point victory.
Wheaton dominated the opening minutes, scoring eight of the first nine points, capped by a three-pointer from Colbert to give the home team an 8-1 lead through the first three minutes. The Blue came back to put together a 13-2 stretch, paced by six points from Shane, to take a 14-10 margin with 2:23 left in the opening quarter of play. Wellesley maintained its lead and took a 16-13 lead into the end of the quarter.
The Lyons roared back to start the second quarter with five straight points, including a pair of Keyter free throws to give them an 18-16 lead with 8:02 to play in the second quarter. The teams traded the lead four more times before the end of the half. Barrow scored six straight points to give Wellesley a 22-18 lead, before Wheaton countered with five straight, including a McClintock triple to put the Lyons on top at 23-22 with 5:55 remaining in the period. The back-and-forth continued as the Blue reclaimed the lead at 26-23 with four unanswered points, before Wheaton closed the half on a 7-2 run, led by four points from Keyter, to give the Lyons a halftime advantage.
Wheaton will be in action again when it heads to Boston, Mass. on Saturday, February 15 to take on NEWMAC rival Emerson College for a 3:30 p.m. tip, while Wellesley hosts Mount Holyoke College in league play on the same day at 1:00 p.m.
