Clark Topples Wellesley Hoops, 71-55

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Clark University led from wire-to-wire, earning a 71-55 victory over Wellesley College basketball in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Saturday afternoon at Gracia Mangano Martore '73 Court. 

Clark snaps a six-game skid and improves to 4-16 overall and 2-10 in conference play with the victory. Wellesley is now 3-15 on the season and 1-10 in the NEWMAC.

Sophomore Sam O'Gara (Worcester, Mass.) scored a team-high 18 points for the Cougars. O'Gara also dished out a game-high eight assists while knocking down two of her three attempts from beyond the arc. First year center Ogechi Ezemma (Hope Valley, R.I.) also finished in double-figures, with 15 points, while adding a team-best seven rebounds. Classmate Kacey Legare (Chicopee, Mass.) added nine points and five boards.

The duo of sophomore Kayla Jang (South Pasadena, Calif.) and senior Chelsi Scott (Portland, Mich.) led the way for the Blue, with Jang scoring a game-high 20 points and Scott adding 17 points of her own. Scott also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, while tying with sophomore Chelsea Brown (San Jose, Calif.) for team-high honors in assists with three. First year Brenna Butler (Smithtown, N.Y.) added seven points, as the Wellesley starters accounted for all but four of the Blue's points.

Legare opened the scoring with a triple at 9:01 of the first quarter, as Clark got out to an early 6-2 lead by the 6:36 mark. Wellesley would close the deficit, making the score 9-8 at 1:49, when Scott hit on a pair of free throws. The Cougars capped the quarter with six more points, while Jang hit on the only Blue basket, to end the first with Clark leading 16-10.

The six-point margin would hold until halftime as each side scored 15 points in the second stanza to send the game into the break with Clark leading 31-25.

The visitors only added to their advantage in the third quarter, eventually taking a 55-38 lead into the fourth quarter. Following a back-and-forth opening three minutes, Clark used a 12-2 run midway through the frame to take a 51-34 lead with 2:59 left in the third. Free throws from Scott and a basket from Butler on back-to-back possessions ended the run, but Legare responded with a layup and O'Gara netted a layup at the buzzer to send Clark into fourth leading by 17.

The Cougars opened up their largest lead of the game with 2:29 left in the fourth quarter, as O'Gara hit another layup to make the score 71-48. Clark then went on to close out the 71-55 victory.

Clark shot 49.2 percent from the floor in the contest, going 5-12 (41.7 %) from beyond the arc. Wellesley countered at 29.4 percent from the field, making four triples of their own. The Cougars also collected 43 boards to just 26 for Wellesley.

Both teams will continue NEWMAC play on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. Wellesley will look to rebound when they host MIT, while Clark travels to Springfield.