WESTON, Mass. - Senior guard Pam Gonzalez (Revere, Mass.) became the 18th player in Regis College women's basketball history to reach the 1,000-point mark for a career as the Pride ran out to an early lead on the way to a 69-56 victory over Johnson and Wales University Saturday afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball game at Higgins Court.
Just under two minutes into the contest, Gonzalez hit a three-pointer to reach 1,000 career points, becoming the eighth player in Regis history to accomplish the feat within three playing seasons. The Pride did not allow a field goal by the Wildcats through almost seven minutes of action as Regis established a 17-3 advantage.
In the second quarter, Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) scored nine straight points to extend the Pride lead to its largest of the game at 23 points (32-9) two minutes into the period. Regis held a 38-20 lead at halftime and basically traded points with JWU throughout the third quarter, maintaining a 49-32 lead heading into the fourth period.
After a layup by Zancan one minute into the fourth quarter, Johnson and Wales charged back by scoring 10 unanswered points, half of them coming from Madison Clark. Regis advanced its lead back into double figures with nine straight points midway through the period on the way to its sixth consecutive victory, the Pride's longest winning streak since a nine-game stretch that encompassed all of February 2017.
Zancan led the Pride in scoring with 20 points, with Gonzalez collecting 18 points, eight rebounds, and five steals. Courtney Doherty (Willimantic, Conn.) finished with 11 points, six assists, and three steals, and Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.) added eight points along with a game-high 14 rebounds.
Peyton Oliver led the Wildcats with 17 points, 12 rebounds, five blocked shots, and four steals, while Clark contributed nine points and three assists off the bench. As a team, JWU shot 34.5 percent (19-for-55) from the field and 77.3 percent (17-for-22) from the free throw line.
The Pride shot 37.7 percent (20-for-53) from the field and 74.3 percent (26-for-35) from the free throw line. Regis won the rebounding battle, 42-36, and scored 28 points off 23 Wildcat turnovers.
Regis College (9-9, 9-3 GNAC) hosts Anna Maria Thursday, Feb. 2, starting at 5 p.m., celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day in the process. Johnson and Wales (7-11, 4-7 GNAC) hosts Dean College Tuesday, Jan. 31, beginning at 5:30 p.m.