Richter Leads Wellesley to Victory Over Mount Holyoke
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – A conventional three-point play by senior Courtney Richter (Sinking Spring, PA)with five seconds remaining in regulation boosted the Wellesley College women's basketball team to a thrilling 54-52 triumph over New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe Mount Holyoke College this afternoon at the Mildred Howard Gymnasium. Trailing 52-45 with 3:45 to go, the Blue rallied for the final nine points of the game to secure their second straight win over the Lyons.
Three players reached double digits in the scoring column for Wellesley, which shot 36.8% (21-57) from the floor and made six three pointers. The Blue converted just 42.9% (6-14) of their free throw attempts but finished with a 50-26 edge on the glass. Richter and classmate Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK) each posted double-doubles to lead the way. In addition to netting a team best 17 points, Richter contributed ten boards. Meanwhile, Duff recorded ten points and a game best 17 rebounds. Senior center Julia Thomas (Concord, CA) added 11 points and eight boards to round things out for the guests.
Mount Holyoke was paced by junior Erin Cain (Quincy, MA), who collected game highs of 19 points and four steals to go with a team best eight rebounds. The guard went 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line. She drained a pair of shots from beyond the arc. Senior guard Katie Austen (Mount Sinai, NY) and first year forward Emma Washauer (Mill Valley, CA) chipped in with 11 points and four assists, respectively. As a team, the Lyons knocked down 40.8% (20-49) of their attempts from the floor. They struggled from the charity stripe, making just 47.4% (9-19) of their tries.
In a game that featured ten ties and 14 lead changes, neither team led by more than seven points.
Wellesley used a 6-0 run to gain an 11-5 advantage midway through the first half. Junior guard Laura Barrett (Dobbs Ferry, NY) capped off the spurt with a three pointer from the top of the arc. A traditional three point play by Austen closed out a 10-3 run and put Mount Holyoke in front 15-14 at the 8:31 mark. The lead changed hands eight times for the remainder of the opening frame. The Blue took a 28-27 edge into the locker room after Barrett drilled her second trey in the final minute. Austen led all scorers with nine points at the break. Thomas had eight for Wellesley.
No more than four points separated the two clubs over the first 16 minutes of the second stanza. A layup by Thomas knotted things up at 45-45 with 5:57 remaining in regulation. Mount Holyoke responded with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to open up a 52-45 cushion. Cain started the rally with a three pointer and ended it with a layup.
From there, it was all Wellesley. The Blue exploded for nine straight points to close out the game. Richter sliced the deficit to 52-51 with 1:06 to go. On Mount Holyoke's ensuing possession, Austen clanged a pair of free throws, and Richter came away with the board. After Wellesley missed the front end of a one-and-one at the other end, but Thomas snared the offensive rebound. Richter then converted what proved to be the game winning three point play with five seconds remaining. Austen had a chance to tie things up in the waning seconds, but her shot fell short.
Both squads will resume their NEWMAC slates on Wednesday. Mount Holyoke (6-15, 3-6 NEWMAC) will travel to Springfield College at 5:30 p.m., while Wellesley (9-8, 3-6 NEWMAC) will host Wheaton College at 7:00.