Kimball Leads Blue Basketball Past Clark

Worcester, Mass. – Powered by 21 points and 15 rebounds from Becca Kimball visiting Wellesley escaped with a hard-fought 51-47 win over Clark University in a crucial New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball game on Wednesday evening.

Kimball took control in the final 20 minutes where she recorded 13 of her points and 11 of her rebounds as the Blue raced ahead by as many as 11 before settling for the four point win.

Both teams entered the contest in a four-way tie for fourth place with 5-5 conference records. Wellesley (9-8), by virtue of the win, along with Springfield and Smith, now all sit at 6-5. Clark (6-12) meanwhile drops to 5-6 in a tie with Wheaton. The Cougars have now dropped three straight following their four game win streak.

Neither team mustered up much offense in the first 20 minutes and Clark went into the half ahead 18-16.

Things changed in the second half as the Blue pounded the offensive glass and used some timely three-point shooting to build their lead.

Kimball scored eight straight Wellesley points to give the Blue a 29-24 edge but the Cougars answered back with consecutive hoops from Megan Grondin and Emily Reilly to keep Clark close.

Wellesley then went on a 10-0 run that featured a steal and finish from Steph Graham, and three-point bombs from Elisha Orama and Malia Maier upping their advantage to 43-32 with less than four minutes left.

The Cougars got the lead down to three as the Blue missed the front ends of a pair of one-and-one free throws and Reilly scored six of the next Clark ten points to make the score 47-44 with 40 seconds left.

After Maier split a pair of free throws, Reilly found Ivori Aiken (Harlem, N.Y.) open for a leftside three that got the Cougars to within one at 48-47.

Kimball then split two free throws leaving the door open for Clark to even the score but Reilly's three-pointer went astray and Kimball made her next to from the charity stripe to seal the game.

Wellesley held a 47-34 edge on the glass and corralled 21 offensive rebounds.

In addition to Kimball's performance, Orama added 11 points and 11 rebounds and Leslie Leong chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds. Maier, who played all 40 minutes, tallied four points, three rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

Reilly was the only Clark player to reach double figures, finishing with 18 points (8-for-16) and four rebounds.

The Cougars will return to the court on Saturday when they host WPI, while the Blue takes to the hardwood on Saturday as well with a road matchup with Mount Holyoke.