Leong Heroics Lead Wellesley Basketball Over Wheaton

NORTON, Mass. – Sophomore Leslie Leong scored the final nine points of the game as the Wellesley College basketball team recorded a 47-42 come-from-behind victory over Wheaton College on the road at Emerson Gymnasium. The win improves Wellesley to 11-9 overall, 10-5 in the NEWMAC. Wheaton falls to 8-14, 6-9 in the NEWMAC.

With 2:37 to play and Wheaton ahead 42-38, Leong went on a tear, turning the four-point deficit into a five-point advantage. She went 3-3 from the floor during the stretch, while canning all four of her free throws to seal the win. 

Wellesley led 22-21 at halftime, paced by first-year Morgyne Weaver who led all scorers with six points on 3-of-5 shooting. Nicole Cullinane led Wheaton with five points while Abbie Brickley and Gabbie DePalo each made a pair of baskets.

The Blue opened up a seven-point (30-23) lead 4:22 into the second half on a three-pointer by senior Elisha Orama. Wheaton answered with a 15-4 run to grab a 38-34 lead just past the midway point of the second half, but were held without a field goal over the next six-and-a-half minutes.

Receiving only a pair of free throws by Cullinane during that stretch, Wheaton managed to hold the lead by forcing Wellesley to miss eight of its nine shots before Leong's heroics in the final minutes propelled the Blue to victory.

Brickley led the Lyons in points (13), rebounds (nine), and blocks (four), and also tallied three assists and a pair of steals. Cullinane scored nine points while DePalo went for six points, six boards and two steals.

For Wellesley, Leong finished with a team-high 11 points while pulling down 13 rebounds to complete the double-double, her seventh of the year. Juniors Malia Maier and Ashleigh Sargent each scored 10 points for the Blue, which outrebounded the Lyons 43-33. Maier also added seven boards and five assists in the win. 

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday when they travel to Clark for a 1 p.m. contest. Wellesley hosts WPI Saturday at 2 p.m., celebrating senior day for Orama, and raising breast cancer awareness with a fundraiser.