Posted: Jan 09, 2014
Wellesley Hoops Runs Streak to Seven; Blue Top Clark
Wellesley
(9-2, 6-1 NEWMAC)
74
Clark
(4-8, 1-6 NEWMAC)
61
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wellesley (9-2, 6-1 NEWMAC) | 29 | 45 | 74 |
|
Clark (4-8, 1-6 NEWMAC) | 25 | 36 | 61 |
WORCESTER, Mass. – Visiting Wellesley College got excellent all-around performances from a pair of its key players and the Blue extended their winning streak to seven with a wire-to-wire 74-61 win over Clark University in New England Women's And Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action on Thursday evening.
Junior Morgyne Weaver controlled the interior, posting her first double-double of the season with season-highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, senior Leslie Leong totaled 21 points of her own to go along with six rebounds, six steals and three assists.
With the win Wellesley improves to 9-2 overall and 6-1 in league play, while Clark has now dropped six of its last seven to slip to 4-8 overall and 1-6 in conference action.
The game started out slowly with the teams combining to go just 3-for-15 in the first seven minutes of the contest. Things picked up quickly over the next few minutes and after a pair of Weaver free throws and a Weaver finish, the Blue were ahead 18-12.
Clark strung together a few baskets and when Aretha Sullivan dropped in a leftside three-pointer the game was tied at 22-22. Wellesley answered back with seven straight points, highlighted by a Leong triple but a Brooke Brennan three made the score 29-25 at halftime.
The Blue opened up the second half on a 13-3 run over the first six minutes capped by a Meghan Sargent conventional three-point play to take a 42-28 lead. Clark scrapped back, scoring eight of the next ten points as Megan Grondin and Ashleigh Condon each hit three-pointers and Emily Reilly snuck inside for a hoop.
Back-to-back layups from Weaver and Sargent pushed the Blue lead back to double digits but the Cougars made one final push.
Consecutive baskets by Reilly and an inside hoop from Breeann Redman cut the lead down to six and then later on a pair of Reilly free throws and a Reilly steal and finish made the score 57-52 with 3:42 to play.
Over the next two plus minutes, beginning with a Kendall Bianchi three-pointer, Wellesley went on a game-sealing 14-2 run that gave them a 74-54 lead with less than a minute to play. During that stretch the Blue went 11-for-14 from the charity stripe and went 25-for-30 from the foul line for the game.
In addition to Leong and Weaver, Natalie Anderson finished with 14 points and four rebounds for Wellesley.
Clark was paced offensively by Reilly, who came off the bench for the first time in her career and ended with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting in 29 minutes.
Esther Cohn registered seven points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, while both Grondin and Condon each had seven as well.
Both teams will be back in action with home NEWMAC contests on Saturday. Wellesley play host to WPI at 2:00 p.m., while the Cougars will entertain MIT at 3:00 p.m.