Basketball Takes Down UMPI in First Round of Ed Hockenbury Classic, 62-43

NORTHFIELD, Vt. -- First year Pujita Shukla (Austin,Texas) led Wellesley College Basketball with 12 points as the Blue topped the University of Maine at Presque Isle (Me.-Presque Isle), 62-43, in the opening round of the Ed Hockenbury Classic on Friday night at Norwich University's Andrews Hall Gymnasium.

Wellesley (6-1 overall) will play in the Ed Hockenbury Classic Championship game tomorrow at 3:00PM against Coast Guard. Me.-Presque Isle (1-5 overall) will play in the tournament's consolation final at 1:00PM against Norwich.

Shukla added two rebounds, one assist, and two steals, while going 2-2 from behind the three-point line. Junior Alyssa Cho (Hillsborough, Calif.) posted 10 points, two rebounds, three steals, and went 6-6 from the free throw line. First year Taylor Hirn (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) led the Blue in rebounds, pulling down eight boards on the night, while first year Rachel Shurberg (Fairfax, Va.) added nine points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Sophomore Hunter Mercier (So. Fairfield, Maine) and first year Kylie Vining (Island Falls, Maine) led the Owls in points with 11 points apiece. Mercier added in two rebounds and three assists, while Vining contributed three rebounds and one steal. Junior Marissa Reagle (Seattle, Wash.) led Me.-Presque Isle in rebounds with 14 total boards on the game.

Wellesley opened the game with a 15-4 first quarter advantage. Shukla scored eight of her 12 total points in the first half, including five in the opening quarter, as the Blue jumped to a 29-11 lead at the break. Wellesley limited the hosts to just five field goals and one three in the opening half in taking the 18-point lead at the break.

The Owls outscored the Blue 6-2 in the first five minutes of the third to shrink the Blue lead to 10, bringing the score to 21-31 with 5:17 left in the quarter. The Blue stretched the advantage to 44-30 at the start of the fourth. Wellesley would eventually lead by as many as 22 points when a jumper from first year Hollin Hakimian (Jacksonville, Fla.) made the score 62-40 with 1:11 left in regulation. A final three-point effort from Owl's first year Sierra Fay (Wilton, Maine) would bring the final score to 62-43.

The Blue finished the game with a 42-40 edge in rebounds and a 19-4 edge in steals while going 17-23 (73.9%) from the foul line. Me.-Presque Isle went 15-44 (34.1%) from the floor and 7-13 (53.8%) from the line.