WESTFIELD, Mass. – Wellesley College basketball fell 69-58 to Utica University in the consolation round of the Westfield Gas and Electric Tip-off Tournament at Westfield State University on Saturday.

Junior McKenzie Simmons (Red Hook, N.Y.) was the high scorer for the Pioneers (1-4)  with 23 points and added 10 boards. Senior Hayleigh Lagase (Wallingford, Conn.) snagged nine rebounds while sophomore Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, N.Y.) recorded 19 points.

Sophomore Mirella Funari (Phoenix, Ariz.) scored a career-high 19 points and earned six steals for the Blue (2-4). Classmate Trinity Barrow (Evans, Ga.) had a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double with an eye-catching eight steals.

The Pioneers stormed out to an 8-0 run in four minutes before Barrow sank a three for the Blue. Utica tallied the next seven points to go up 15-3, and ended the first frame with a 21-9 lead. Hall and Simmons combined for 16 of the Pioneers' first period points.

The teams traded buckets for the first seven minutes of the second quarter with eight points apiece. A late 4-0 stretch saw Utica's lead swell to 15 at 32-17 before the Blue scored the final four points of the quarter, including a Funari layup with seven seconds left to play. The Pioneers went into the locker room up 32-21.

Wellesley cut the gap to seven at the 4:30 mark of the third quarter. Utica responded with a 12-1 run to end the quarter with a 51-33 lead and put the Blue in danger.

Though the Blue outscored the Pioneers 25-18 in the fourth, it wasn't enough to erase the deficit. The closest Wellesley got the game was seven points at the 44 second mark off of a fastbreak layup from Barrow.

Next up, Wellesley travels to Elms College for a 7:00 PM tip-off on Tuesday, December 3. Utica returns home to host SUNY Delhi on Monday, December 2 at 5:30 PM.