Blue Basketball Continues Strong Start With 56-44 Win at Simmons

BOSTON, Mass. – First year Caitlin Aguirre (El Paso, Texas) scored a game-high 19 points, and classmate Keer Sun (Pine Brook, N.J.) added 11 more, to lead Wellesley College basketball to a 56-44 non-conference victory over Simmons College on Tuesday evening at Moore Gymnasium.

With the win, Wellesley opens the season with three consecutive victories for the first time since the Blue went 5-0 to begin the 2000-01 campaign. Simmons is now 0-3 on the season and has lost five-straight games to the Blue dating back to the 2012-13 season.

Aguirre was 7-for-13 from the floor, leading all scorers while also recording four steals. Sun added four rebounds and a pair of steals. Classmate Emily Kopp (King Ferry, N.Y.) also finished in double-figures with 10 points, four rebounds and a pair of steals. First year Kendall You Mak (San Francisco, Calif.) added a game-high seven steals to lead the Blue on defense, as Wellesley racked up 20 steals in the contest. 

Senior Liz Brasa (Taunton, Mass.) had a team-high 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds to lead the way for Simmons. Junior Presley Silva (Wilmington, Mass.) was the only other Simmons player to finish in double-figures, adding eight rebounds of her own, along with four steals and a pair of assists. Sophomore Francesca Corsinetti (Johnston, R.I.) chipped in with nine points.

Wellesley led from wire-to-wire in the contest, opening the game with a 14-4 run before closing out the first quarter with a 17-8 edge. Aguirre scored ten of the Blue's first 14 points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor in the opening quarter. Aguirre added four more points in the second quarter, helping Wellesley hold on to their first quarter advantage as the Sharks had a slim 11-10 edge in the second stanza. The Blue held a 27-19 lead at halftime. 

Braza cut the Simmons deficit to six in the opening minute of the third quarter, sinking a jumper at 9:06 to make the score 27-21. However, Simmons would get no closer for the remainder of the contest, as Wellesley outscored the hosts 16-10 in the third to carry and 43-29 advantage into the fourth quarter. The Blue then closed out the 56-44 victory with a 13-point fourth quarter, as Simmons could only cut the deficit to 11 in the final 10 minutes of play. 

The two sides combined for 62 turnovers in the game, but Wellesley's 28 points off Simmons turnovers proved to be the difference in the contest. The Blue finished at 43% from the field, while the Sharks knocked down 33% of their attempts.

Wellesley will host Worcester St. in the team's home opener on Sunday afternoon, November 27, at 1:00 PM. Simmons will play at Anna Maria in their next contest on Thursday, December 1, at 6:00 PM.