WELLESLEY, Mass. – WPI made the most of a big first quarter to gather a 58-49 victory over Wellesley College basketball on Wednesday night at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse.

Junior Ava Hyams (Kearny, N.J.) recorded a 12 point, 10 rebound double-double for the Engineers (14-10 Overall, 5-5 NEWMAC). Classmate Ava Giansiracusa (Wethersfield, Conn.) led the squad with 13 points while junior Emmy Allyn (Rutland, Mass.) registered four assists and 10 points.

The Blue (9-14 Overall, 3-7 NEWMAC) were led by 21 points, including seven made foul shots, from sophomore Ava Shane (Plano, Texas). Junior Trinity Barrow (Evans, Ga.) pulled down seven boards with a trio of steals. 

WPI dominated early, scoring the opening 13 points of the game and building a 20-5 lead after one quarter. The Engineers shot 7-for-10 in the quarter, connecting on three deep balls.

The second quarter was tightly contested, with the visitors putting up 14 to the hosts 13. WPI's advantage reached 19 on a triple by junior Leila Nielsen (New York, N.Y.) before made free throws from Shane and sophomore Stacy Chen (Minneapolis, Minn.) got the game back to 16 at the final horn of the half.

The third period proved to be the most defensive, with each squad limited to just nine tallies. While the Blue limited the Engineers' scoring, the team was unable to dig into the deficit and it remained a 16-point game with 10 minutes left to go.

WPI got the lead back to 19 at 54-35 when Hyams nailed a midrange jumper with 4:47 left on the clock. Wellesley attempted to jumpstart a late comeback with a three from sophomore Emaleena Elson (Irvine, Calif.) and a jumper by Chen. The Blue scored 14 of the final 18 points of the game, showing heart and determination despite being unable to get back within striking distance. 

The Engineers ended the contest shooting 21-for-54 (38.9%) as a team. WPI held a narrow 34-32 edge in rebounds and made six three-pointers.

Both teams conclude the regular season on Saturday, February 21. Wellesley hosts Salve Regina University at 1:00 PM. WPI takes on Clark University at home at 3:00 PM.