WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College basketball junior Ava Shane (Plano, Texas) set program records in single-game points (37) and field goals made (15) during the Blue's 84-34 season-opener against Rivier University on Friday night at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse.
Shane scored early and often for the Blue (1-0) and also pulled down 11 boards. First-year Maya Motherway (East Rockaway, N.Y.) debuted with 11 points and six rebounds while senior Trinity Barrow (Evans, Ga.) earned six steals and four assists. The team shot 43.4 percent from the floor and 6-of-19 from behind the arc.
The Raiders (0-1) were led by nine points from first-year Lily Phillips (Haverhill, Mass.). Junior Gianna Donato (Tyngsborough, Mass.) led Rivier with six collected rebounds.
Wellesley came out on a tear, with Motherway knocking down the first deep ball attempted. The Blue led 7-0 early and bumped the lead into double digits midway through the frame at 17-7. A 5-0 stretch by sophomore Tanvi Agarwal (Woodinville, Wash.) made it 24-9 before Coach Jennifer Kroll's team scored the final five points of the quarter.Â
A 16-7 Wellesley second quarter made it 45-16 at halftime. First-years Izzy Shandy (Beaverton, Ore.) scored a few baskets in addition to the offensive barrage of Shane, Barrow and Agarwal.
With the game well in hand, the Blue continued to look sharp in the third, outscoring the Raiders 22-7 with a trio of three pointers. Junior Emaleena Elson (Irvine, Calif.) put in a pair of triples to add the offensive barrage.
Wellesley closed out the game with the lead finally hitting 50 at the tail end as first-year Charlotte Robichaud (Reading, Mass.) closed out the game with a three pointer.
Next up, Wellesley travels to Worcester State University for a 7:00 PM game on Wednesday, November 11. Rivier will return home on Monday, November 9 to take on Westfield State University at 7:00 PM.
