BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Bri Frongillo (Hopedale, Mass.) registered a career-high 11 assists with 12 points in Emerson College's 69-59 NEWMAC victory over Wellesley College basketball on Wednesday night at Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym.

Frongillo was one of four scorers with 10 or more points for the Lions (11-5 Overall, 2-0 NEWMAC). Sophomore Kendra Dodd (Tampa, Fla.) topped all student-athletes with 20 points, sinking six three points. Graduate student Charlotte Levison (Atherton, Calif.) grabbed eight rebounds to go along with 11 points.

The Blue (6-9 Overall, 1-1 NEWMAC) were paced by 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting by first year Ava Shane (Plano, Texas). Sophomore Trinity Barrow (Evans, Ga.) added a 16 point-10 rebound double-double with four assists. Classmate Mirella Funari (Phoenix, Ariz.) tacked on 11 points and nine boards.

The Blue cut its deficit to a single point at 53-52 with 9:09 left to play on a Barrow layup. The hosts put up seven straight points, including a pair of buckets from sophomore Taylor Arnold (Los Angeles, Calif.), to make it 60-52 at the 5:48 mark. 

The purple and gold expanded the game to double digits at 64-54 with just under three minutes remaining. Wellesley couldn't get back to within eight before time expired.

After a 7-6 start for Emerson, the Lions scored eight straight points. The Blue retaliated with eight unanswered of its own to make it 15-14 for Emerson at the end of the quarter. Frongillo led the purple and gold with seven first quarter points while Shane had five for Wellesley.

Wellesley kept the game within five points for much of the second quarter. A late Blue triple by Shane cut to four at 34-30 with 24 seconds left in the half. Lions sophomore Elise Arnold (Los Angeles, Calif.) connected on a three set up by Frongillo to make it 37-30 as time expired.

The Blue outscored the Lions to 18-14 in the third quarter to make it 51-48 Emerson after three stanzas. After trailing by eight at 40-32, Wellesley dug its heels in and chipped away, tying the game up at 45 all on a pair of foul shots by sophomore Mirella Funari (Phoenix, Ariz.). 

Emerson went 27-for-57 (47.4%) from the field while Wellelsey was 22-for-54 (40.7%). The Lions capitalized on 10 made three pointers and 22 points off of the bench.

Each team will host a NEWMAC contest at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 25. Wellesley welcomes Springfield College while Emerson stays home against Coast Guard Academy.