Blue Basketball Advances to USJ Tournament Final With 48-35 Win Over Mitchell

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – First year Emily Kopp (King Ferry, N.Y.) and sophomore Zojajha Ayub (Belle Mead, N.J.) combined for 24 points to lead Wellesley College basketball to a 48-35 victory over Mitchell College on the opening night of the 2016 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Tip-Off Tournament on Friday at the O'Connell Center.

The Blue earned a victory in their season opener for the first time since they defeated Wilson to open the 2011-12 season. With the win, Wellesley advances to play Fitchburg St. in the tournament championship on Saturday. Mitchell is now 0-2 and will play tournament host Saint Joseph in tomorrow's consolation game at 1:00 PM.

Nine Wellesley players scored in the contest, paced by Kopp's game-high 14 points. Making her collegiate debut, Kopp also pulled down five rebounds, adding an assist and a pair of steals. Ayub was the only other Wellesley player to finish in double-figures, scoring 10 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Senior Ailis Hanley (Cranston, R.I.) racked up a game-high nine boards for the Blue, also adding two assists and three steals while playing a team-high 22 minutes. First year Kendall You Mak (San Francisco, Calif.) chipped in with six points and five steals.

Mitchell sophomore Francesca Pinard (Arlington, Mass.) scored a team-high 13 points, coming off the bench to shoot 5-9 from the floor in 29 minutes of action. Pinard also snagged a team-high seven boards. Senior guard Jessica Shepard (West Hartford, Conn.) added 12 points, two steals, two assists, and two blocks, but the duo got little help, as the rest of the Mitchell team scored a combined 10 points on the evening. 

The Blue held the Mariners to just 11 points in the first half, opening the game with a 15-5 first quarter run that was capped by a free throw from Hanley with 17 seconds remaining in the opening period. Mitchell cut the deficit to 15-9 in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but the Blue would push back late in the frame, as Kopp and You Mak combined for an 8-0 run to give Wellesley a 25-11 lead at the half.

Mitchell outscored the Blue 15-14 in the third quarter, but were unable to cut any further into the deficit in the second half. With the Blue now leading 39-26 at the conclusion of the third quarter, Kopp knocked down a free throw, You Mak hit a layup and first year Caitlin Aguirre (El Paso, Texas) made a jumper to give Wellesley a comfortable 44-26 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth. From there, the Blue took home the 48-35 final. 

Both sides struggled from the floor in the contest, as the Blue hit on 28.6% of their attempts and the Mariners knocked down 28.9% from the field. The difference in the contest came at the free throw line, where Wellesley went 19-for-41 and Mitchell was just 7-of-25. The Blue also had a comfortable 52-37 edge on the glass.

The Championship Game of the USJ Tip-Off Tournament will take place on Saturday, November 19, at 3:00 PM. Wellesley will play Fitchburg St., as the Falcons defeated the tournament host Blue Jays, 89-81, in Friday's first contest.