Blue Basketball Opens NEWMAC Playoffs at Home on Wednesday
WELLESLEY, Mass. – The Wellesley College basketball team will open the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) playoffs by hosting a quarterfinal game on Wednesday. The third-seeded Blue will battled sixth-ranked Clark at 7:00pm at Wellesley's Keohane Sports Center.
After being shut out of hosting home playoff games for 10 seasons, the Blue have now earned the right to host for the second straight season. Last year, Wellesley finished fourth in the NEWMAC, and the team moved up a spot this season, to rank third after the regular season.
The Blue are 13-9 overall with a 12-6 mark in NEWMAC play. Senior Malia Maier and sophomore Leslie Leong lead the team with nine points per game, while Maier also leads the team with averages of 5.1 assists and 5.0 steals. Senior Ashleigh Sargent and first-year Chelsi Scott lead the team on the boards, with Sargent pulling down 116 total rebounds and Scott adding 101.
Wellesley is 2-0 against Clark (13-12, 8-10) this season, playing two tight games against the Cougars, as the Blue won by an average of 4.5 points. The winner of the Wellesley/Clark game will advance to the semifinals to take on #2, Smith.
In December, the Blue overcame a slow start to post a 63-60 win at home. Wellesley was down eight points at the half, but chipped away at the lead and sealed the victory with late buckets from Morgyne Weaver and Kendall Bianchi. Weaver led the Blue with 16 points, while Scott notched her first career double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Clark's Emily Reilly led all scorers with 25 points, shooting 8-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-6 from behind the arc. Kelsey Giedymin added 13 points and four boards, while Ashleigh Condon added 12 points and four assists.
In Wellesley and Clark's second meeting in February, the Blue again came away with a close victory. The Blue held a two-point lead at the half and then used two late scoring runs to close out the 59-53 victory. Weaver led the Wellesley attack with 14 points and five boards, while Jackson joined her in double figures with ten points and six boards. For Clark, Condon was the lone Clark player in double figures, registering 16 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists.
Admission will be charged for Wednesday's game with adult tickets being sold for $4 and student tickets going for $1. Wellesley students can attend free with their student ID card, courtesy of the Office of the President.
2013 NEWMAC Women's Basketball Championship
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, February 20 at higher seed:
#1 Babson (18-0) - Bye
#2 Smith (16-2) - Bye
#6 Clark (8-10) at #3 Wellesley (12-6) - 7:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
#5 Coast Guard (8-10) at #4 WPI (10-8) - 7:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
Semifinals: Saturday, February 23 at Babson:
Winner #4 WPI/#5 Coast Guard at #1 Babson - 1:00 p.m.
Winner #3 Wellesley/#6 Clark vs. #2 Smith - 3:00 p.m.
Championship: Sunday, February 24 at Babson:
Semifinal winners - 1:00 p.m.