WBB Earns First Win at Wheelock

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Mitchell College women's basketball team picked up its first victory of the season in its conference opener at Wheelock College on Tuesday night by a final of 83-65 at Brunelli Court.

Freshman Jessica Shepherd scored a career-high 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the floor to lead Mitchell, which improved to 1-4 overall and 1-0 in the NECC. Sophomore Savannah Boyle added 16 points while the duo of Amanda Garcia and Caycee Williams came off the bench to combine for 21 points and 20 rebounds.

Katie Alsip matched her personal-best with 13 points for Wheelock. The Wildcats fell to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in NECC play.

The Mariners took an early 8-4 lead with 15:24 to play in the opening half, but Wheelock put together a 9-2 run, capped by a layup from Alsip, to take a 13-10 lead at the 10:51 mark. The home team maintained a 17-14 lead a minute later before Mitchell claimed a comfortable double-digit lead thanks to a 21-5 run, fueled by six points from senior Luany Gotay, to take a 35-22 cushion with 3:23 left in the half. The Mariners led 40-25 at intermission. 

Mitchell scored the first six points of the second stanza to take a 46-25 lead with 16:52 showing, before the Wildcats went on a 9-2 stretch, punctuated by a three-pointer from Jessica Ramsey to pull them to within 48-34 with 14:43 to go in the contest. The margin remained at 14 points just over a minute and a half later with the Mariners owning a 53-39 advantage. 

The visitors scored 15 of the next 22 points to extend their lead to 68-46 with 7:36 remaining in the game and later led by as many as 73-50 with 5:55 to play. Wheelock's last gasp came with seven straight points, including a three-pointer from Alsip to cut the deficit to 73-57, but it was as close as it would get the rest of the way.

Shepherd was 5-for-8 from three-point range and added seven rebounds, four assists and a block. Boyle finished with four treys to go with three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a pair of blocks. Garcia recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and Williams chipped in with a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in addition to a game-high four blocks.

Alsip also added five rebounds and a pair of assists for Wheelock. Michelle Woods poured in a team-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds, a block and an assist, while Ramsey came off the bench to net 10 points, grab five rebounds, hand out two assists and make a steal in just 20 minutes. Shannon Garvey also chipped in with nine points, six boards, two steals, an assist and a blocked shot.

Mitchell will next play at Elms College on Thursday, December 5 at 7 p.m.