Strong Second Half Pushes WBB Past Southern Vermont

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's basketball team extended its winning streak to four games with a 69-51 victory over Southern Vermont College on Tuesday evening in a New England Collegiate Conference showdown at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Freshmen Caycee Williams and Jessica Shepherd each scored 12 points to lead the Mariners (6-7 overall, 6-1 NECC) while sophomore Savannah Boyle added 11, all in the second half. Amber Flagg paced the Mountaineers (4-10 overall, 2-5 NECC) with a game-high 19 points while Sarah McDonald chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Southern Vermont got off to a quick start and led 7-0 after the opening 1:28. Mitchell kept its cool, however, and battled back to take its first lead at 13-12 with 12:22 remaining in the stanza. Flagg then scored the next six points—first with a three-pointer, and then with a lay-up and foul—to put the Mountaineers back in front by five.

Mitchell took the lead once again on a three-pointer by Shepherd with 8:10 remaining in the half. The Mariners increased the margin to as many as six, but the Mountaineers continued to keep it close. With under a minute left in the half, Mariah Anthony cut the deficit to two with a jumper, and Flagg later beat the halftime buzzer with a coast-to-coast lay-up that tied the score at 31-31.

The Mariners struggled offensively in the first half as starters Boyle and Williams played a combined five minutes due to foul trouble. Flagg led all scorers with 11 points at intermission while Shepherd paced the Mariners with eight.

After playing only minute in the first half, Boyle came out hot to start the second. She scored all 11 of her points during a 13-2 run that saw the Mariners seize control of the contest. She hit a jumper to open the stanza and then followed it up with three treys to put the home team on top 44-36 with 13:44 to go.

The Mariners later scored 10 straight points to push the margin to double digits. A three-pointer by Toshina Jessamy with 6:39 remaining capped the run with the score at 56-41. Mitchell eventually pumped the lead to as many as 22 late in the half.

Mitchell shot 43 percent in the second half to finish at 33 percent for the game. Williams had eight rebounds to go with her 12 points while Dazjavia Williams and Luany Gotay came off the bench to finish with nine and eight boards, respectively.

Southern Vermont shot 30 percent from the floor. Flagg also recorded four steals and three assists on the night while Javasha White grabbed nine rebounds.

Mitchell will next play at Lesley University on Thursday, January 16 at 8 p.m.