WESTON, Mass. – Despite shooting just 28% (23-for-82) from the field, Regis College overcame visiting Wheelock College, 68-53 in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's basketball action on Tuesday evening at Higgins Court. The Pride, who have now won four straight, improve to 7-0 in league play and 10-4 overall with the victory.
Junior guards Janaya Bradley (New Haven, Conn.) and Emilee Marro (Bedford, N.H.) accounted for half of their team's total offense after scoring 17 points apiece to lead the Pride in a game that had a combined 40 turnovers and 40 fouls.
Regis jumped out to a quick lead in the opening minutes of the game. Marro made a layup to push Regis ahead, 13-8 just under seven minutes into the contest. Amber Tudor (Bronx, N.Y.) responded for Wheelock with back-to-back layups of her own to cut the lead to one by the 12:05 mark.
Over the next five minutes, the Pride cruised to a 13-1 run to lead 26-13 with 7:10 remaining. Regis closed out the half with three treys from three different players, including Bradley, sophomore Taylor Bunkley (Carmel, N.Y.), and junior Kim Daniels (Jaffrey, N.H.), as well as a pair of free-throws from Bianca Batallas (Baldwinville, Mass.) to take a 37-21 lead into halftime.
The Pride scored 18 points off of turnovers in the first-half, much thanks to the gritty play of Bunkley, who finished the opening half with five steals. Bunkley would end up with seven points, six steals, and three rebounds in the game.
Regis looked like they were going to run away with the game, as they led by as much as 26 with 14:21 left in regulation. Poor shooting continued to plague the Crimson & Gold, however, as they shot 10-for-42 (23.8%) in the second half.
The Wildcats (1-12, 0-7 NECC) were able to claw their way back into the game and cut the lead to as few as 14 points. Sophomore forward Kelsey Becker (Hanover, Mass.) capped off a 9-0 Wheelock run after hitting consecutive free-throws to make the game 60-46 with 5:12 remaining. The teams traded baskets in the closing minutes, and Regis was able to hang on for the 68-53 win.
Freshman Michelle Woods (Wilmington, Mass.) scored 12 points and had eight rebounds for Wheelock, while sophomore Katie Alsip (Quincy, Mass.) pitched in with nine points and four rebounds. Becker fell just short of a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.
Marro and Bradley also accounted for a combined 12 rebounds and six assists, while Marro had four steals of her own on the night. Senior forward Claire Ramonas (Portland, Maine) came up big for Regis on the boards, as she had ten rebounds to go along with four points, three assists, and one block.
Both teams return to action this Thursday for a pair of NECC home games. Wheelock will host Becker at 7:30 p.m., while the Pride will welcome Southern Vermont for a 6 p.m. game.