Blue Basketball Defeated by WPI, 50-31

WORCESTER, Mass. - A strong offensive second quarter helped WPI defeat Wellesley College basketball 50-31 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Wednesday at Harrington Auditorium.

After a slow start, the Engineers (15-4 Overall, 5-1 NEWMAC) picked up steam behind grad students Alex Scariati (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and Victoria Mirecki (Washingtonville, N.Y.), who each scored 10 points for WPI. Junior Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, Conn.) pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds for the Engineers, who out rebounded Wellesley 44-28 in the game.

Senior Pujita Shukla (Austin, Texas) used her aggressive paint pressure to get to the free throw line and lead the Blue (7-13 Overall, 1-5 NEWMAC) with seven points and three steals. First year Yitzel Serna (Palmdale, Calif.) dropped a pair of threes for Wellesley while sophomore Sairah O'Brien-Forde (Binghamton, N.Y.) had five rebounds.

The Blue led 10-4 after one quarter with an 8-2 run that included a made three from Serna. Wellesley snuffed out a normally high-octane WPI offense, with Shukla snatching a pair of steals in the period. 

Scariati sparked the Engineers' offense in the second, cutting the lead to 10-9 on a made three before WPI took their first lead since 2-0 at 14-13. WPI led 23-19 at the half shooting 58% (7-of-12) in the second quarter, highlighted by a pair of threes from grad student Melanie Presseau (Manchester, N.H.).

WPI scored 14 of the first 15 points in the third to bring their lead up to 36-20. Scariati had a block and a steal for WPI and grad student Lisa Cristiano (Valhalla, N.Y.) grabbed a steal and put up four points during the stretch. 

Serna knocked down a three for the Blue at the beginning of the fourth to get WPI's lead back to 39-27. WPI brought their lead back up to 46-30 when Kelly buried a midrange jumper. The game never got back within 15, as the Engineers' closed out a 50-31 win. 

The Blue return home next Wednesday to host Babson at 7:00 PM while the Engineers wrap up their two-game home stand by taking on Springfield at 1:00 PM on Saturday.