NEWPORT, R.I. – The Salve Regina University women's basketball team came back to defeat visiting Wheaton College (Mass.), 71-63, this evening in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport, R.I.
The Lyons slip to 7-13 overall and 3-3 in league play, while the Seahawks improve to 10-9 and 3-3.
Salve Regina was limited to just 33.8% (22-65) from the floor, including 2-12 (16.7%) from three-point range, but made its bones at the free throw line, converting 25 of 28 tries for an 89.3% success rate. Wheaton shot a respectable 42.4% (25-59) from the floor, but was just 7-13 (53.8%) from the line. The Seahawks owned a 45-37 rebound margin, including 15 offensive boards to translate into a 34-24 second-chance point advantage. The teams combined for 45 turnovers, including 25 from the Lyons.
Sophomore guard Mary McClintock (Essex Junction, Vt.) led Wheaton with 16 points on 7-13 from the field and added four assists, three rebounds and a trio of steals, while junior forward Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) contributed with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Sophomore forward Cheyenne Colbert (Brooline, N.H.) chipped in with nine points and was 3-3 from three-point range in addition to grabbing two rebounds, coming up with a pair of steals and handing out two assists.
The Neary sisters combined for 39 points and 21 rebounds to lead Salve Regina. Graduate student Briana Neary (Wayne, N.J.) netted a game-high 23 points, including a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line, to go with five rebounds and a steal, while junior forward Sofia Neary (Wayne, N.Y.) ripped down a game-high 16 rebounds to go with a career-high seven blocks in addition to 16 points, six steals and an assist. Senior forward Ashley Rourke (Londonderry, N.H.) scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished for a pair of assists, while graduate student Amanda Folan (North Attleboro, Mass.) finished a carom short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds and added five assists, three steals and a block.
Wheaton owned a 36-19 lead just over six minutes into the second quarter, but the Seahawks out-scored their guests, 52-27, the rest of the way.
The Lyons opened the second quarter with a dominant 17-2 run, fueled by seven points from McClintock and six from Colbert, to give them a 36-19 cushion with 3:55 left in the quarter. Salve Regina regrouped and scored 10 of the final 12 points of the period, including six from Briana Neary, to slice the halftime difference to 38-29.
The Seahawks picked up where they left off and ripped off nine straight points to begin the second half, including five from Briana Neary, to complete a 19-2 stretch over a period of almost six minutes to erase the deficit and pull even at 38-38 with Wheaton at the 7:52 mark of the third quarter.
The Lyons reclaimed the lead and owned a 44-41 margin after a turnaround jumper from junior Nasha Arnold (North Reading, Mass.) with 4:58 showing on the third quarter clock. Salve Regina scored eight straight points, paced by four from Briana Neary, to take a 49-44 lead with 3:37 to play in the quarter, before Wheaton countered with the next five points and tied the contest at 49-49 after a layup from Arnold at the 2:51 mark. The Seahawks built their lead back to 54-50, but the Lyons closed the quarter with the final four points to knot the score at 54-54, heading into the final quarter of play.
Wheaton scored five of the first seven points of the fourth quarter and held a 59-56 lead with 6:32 remaining in the game. Salve Regina reeled off eight unanswered points as part of a defining 15-1 run to put the game away with a 71-60 advantage with eight ticks left in the game. Sofia Neary tallied six points and Folan scored five during the key stretch. The Seahawks were a perfect 4-4 from the field and 7-8 from the line.
Keyter knocked down a jumper early in the opening quarter to give the Lyons a 5-4 edge with just over three minutes gone in the game. Salve Regina countered with the next five points and later took an 11-7 margin, following a pair of free throws from Sofia Neary with five minutes left in the quarter. Wheaton scored 10 unanswered points, capped by a three-pointer from senior guard Greta Minos (Boston, Mass.), to give the visitors a 17-11 lead with 2:37 to go in the quarter. Junior guard Madeline Duwe (Greenville, S.C.) later made a layup to maintain a 19-13 margin for the Lyons, before the Seahawks scored the final four points of the period to pull within 19-17 after one quarter of play.
Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, February 8 when it travels to Babson Park, Mass. to take on NEWMAC foe Babson College at 1:00 p.m., while Salve Regina hosts Wellesley College on the same day, at the same time in conference play.
