NORTON, Mass. – First year Ava Shane (Plano, Texas) went 12-for-16 from the free throw line and finished with 20 points as Wellesley College basketball moved past Wheaton College, 68-53, in a key NEWMAC matchup on Wednesday night at Emerson Gymnasium. The Blue (7-14 Overall, 2-6 NEWMAC) went 26-of-35 (74.3%) on foul shooting as a team, leading to the victory.
Shane added eight rebounds to the statsheet while sophomore Trinity Barrow (Evans, Ga.) recorded an 18 point- 10 board double-double with four assists and three steals. First year Stacy Chen (Minneapolis, Minn.) provided 11 points and classmate Emaleena Elson (Irvine, Calif.) had a season-high seven off the bench.
The Lyons (7-15 Overall, 3-5 NEWMAC) were led by 12 points, three blocks and three steals from junior Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). Sophomore Mary McClintock (Essex Junction, Vt.) registered 11 points with a trio of three-point buckets.
Wheaton dashed out to an 8-1 lead before the Blue responded with eight of its own. The rest of the first quarter saw the teams within a possession of each other. Wellesley led 16-13 after a period of play.
The teams exchanged the lead for much of the second period. A late pair of foul shots put the hosts up 30-28 going into the half.
The Blue began to distance itself from its opponents in the third. After being tied at 40-39 at the 4:23 mark, Wellesley embarked on an 8-3 stretch to end the stanza up six with momentum. The Lyons also saw several individuals in foul trouble after 30 minutes of action.
While a McClinlock triple made it a one possession game at 50-47 early in the fourth, Wellesley did not let its guard down. Nine unanswered Blue points followed, with five coming by way of Barrow. Wheaton never got the game back to single digits, as Wellelsey finished off a 68-53 affair.
The Blue went 20-for-52 (38.5%) as a team, making the most of its foul shots and 12 second chance points. Wellesley caused 21 turnovers while only committing 11 of its own.
Wellesley returns to Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse to host Mount Holyoke College for Senior Day on Saturday, February 15 at 1:00 PM. Wheaton plays at Emerson College that same day at 3:30 PM.
