Basketball Falls 79-61 to Framingham St. in Opener

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- Framingham St. sophomore Flannery O'Connor (Amesbury, Mass.) scored a game-high 25 points to lead the visiting Rams to a 79-61 victory over Wellesley College Basketball on Wednesday evening at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse. 

Wellesley dropped its season opener to the Rams, who improve to 2-0 with back-to-back road wins to start the season. 

O'Connor finished 9-for-17 from the floor and grabbed eight boards. Classmate Katty Haidul (Gilford, N.H.) finished with a double-double, dropping 12 points and securing a game-high 16 boards. Gwendolyn Carpenter (Ashley Falls, Mass.) added a solid offensive performance with 17 points including 11-12 from the foul line. All five starters for the Rams finished in double figures. 

First year Caitlin Windross (Eastvale, Calif.) put up a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards in her collegiate debut. Sophomore guard Jiyun Chae (Chantilly, Va.) also tallied 12 points going 5-for-9 from the floor and knocking down two three pointers. Senior captain Valentina Morakis (Long Island, N.Y.) added eight points and a team-high four assists.

The Blue started the season off on a rough note, falling behind 16-4 towards the end of the first quarter. Four different Wellesley players would score a bucket but the team shot just 25% in the period. The Rams would keep up the pace in the second, after a three-pointer by Camille Desrochers (Westford, Mass.) gave the team a 41-19 advantage. Wellesley would answer with a pair of free throws by Sairah O'Brien Forde (Binghamton, N.Y.) but trailed by 19 at the break.

Wellesley found its offensive rhythm in the midst of the third quarter. After trailing by 18, the Blue used a 5-0 run capped off by an Anna Greenthal (Orinda, Calif.) free throw to cut the lead to 13. Framingham St. ended the third quarter with a run of its own and held a 17 point edge heading into the fourth. The Blue came out blazing in the fourth with two quick baskets from O'Brien Forde and Windross. After a big defensive stop, Allison Koziarz (New Rochelle, N.Y.) knocked down a huge three-pointer off a dish from Morakis to cut the lead to single digits. With the Blue clawing to get back into the game, Carpenter forced a steal and finished the layup off a Wellesley turnover. The steal to a layup would prove to be the dagger as Framingham St. went on to win 79-61. 

As a team Wellesley shot 42.21 % (24-of-57) from the floor and 66.7% (10-15) from the charity stripe. Wellesley had 24 points off the bench compared to just two for the Rams. Framingham St. dominated down low scoring 42 points in the paint and outrebounding Wellesley 40-33.

Wellesley will look to bounce back on Saturday, November 13 when the Blue host Rivier at 1:00 PM. Framingham St. will take on Hamilton next Friday, November 19 at the Williams Invitational.