BABSON PARK, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team was turned back by host Babson College, 74-52, this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Staake Gymnasium in Babson Park, Mass.

The Lyons slip to 7-14 overall and 3-4 in league play, while the Beavers improve to 12-9 and 4-3.

Babson shot 42.4% (28-66) for the game and took advantage of 16 Wheaton miscues, owning a 22-4 difference in points off turnovers. The Beavers also dominated the glass by a margin of 45-31, including 16 offensive boards, and posted a 17-5 advantage in second chance points.

Junior guard Kiki Walters (Fleetwood, Pa.) finished with a game-high 14 points to lead the Lyons and added three rebounds, two assists and a steal, while classmate Madeline Duwe (Greenville, S.C.) netted 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers, in addition to grabbing four rebounds and handing out an assist. Junior forward Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) contributed with 13 points, five rebounds, a block and a steal and sophomore forward Cheyenne Colbert (Brookline, N.H.) ripped down a career-high 12 rebounds to go with four points, four assists, a block and a steal.

Senior guard Katelyn Mollica (Forborough, Mass.) led Babson with 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Sophomore guard Samantha Reale (North Attleboro, Mass.) chipped in with 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block and was one of 13 Beavers to score in the game.

Keyter made a layup at the 6:24 mark of the opening quarter to give Wheaton a 10-9 edge with the sixth lead change of the opening minutes. Babson closed out the quarter with a 19-4 run, fueled by six points from senior forward Emily Flynn (Hanover, Mass.) and five from junior guard Allessia Carlo (Carmel, N.Y.), to take a 28-14 advantage into the second quarter.

Senior forward Camilla Silk (Medfield, Mass.) boosted the Beavers' lead to 37-16 with a layup coming with 6:10 to go in the quarter. The Lyons regrouped and roared back with a 16-4 stretch to end the quarter, led by eight points from Duwe, to cut the deficit to 41-32 at the intermission.

Keyter knocked down a jumper with 7:53 showing on the third quarter clock to pull Wheaton within 41-34, but it was as close as it would get for the remainder of the contest. Babson closed out the period with a 12-4 run to take a 53-38 lead into the final quarter of action.

Duwe drained a jump shot with 7:56 to play in the game to keep the deficit at 15 for the visitors, but the Beavers put together a 14-4 stretch to take their largest lead of the day at 70-45 with 2:04 left in the game. 

The Lyons return to action on Wednesday, February 12 when they host NEWMAC foe Wellesley College for a 7:00 p.m. tip, while Babson hosts Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the same night at 7:30 p.m.