WBB Bounces Back Against Bay Path

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Mitchell College got back on the winning track with a 74-63 victory over Bay Path College on Saturday afternoon in a New England Collegiate Conference women's basketball tilt at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Senior Kate Mulloy and freshman Jessica Shepherd each finished with 17 points to lead the Mariners (13-8 overall, 13-2 NECC). Freshman Caycee Williams recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds while sophomore Amanda Garcia chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Kayla Skiffington netted a game-high 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting to lead four players in double figures for Bay Path (7-15 overall, 6-9 NECC). She also grabbed 13 rebounds and handed out four assists. Toni Alexander added 15 points and five assists while Aaliyah Gordon and Katherine Chabot each pitched in with 10 points.

The Wildcats pulled in front early and stayed there for the opening 15 minutes of the contest. Chabot scored all 10 of her points in the first half to lead the charge, but the Mariners battled back late in the stanza and pulled ahead on the strength of an 11-0 run. A jumper by Garcia tied the score at 28-28 with 4:49 to play, and Shepherd later gave Mitchell the lead for good with one of her three first-half treys.

The Mariners led by as many as 10 points in the waning minutes of the first half, but Bay Path cut the deficit in half in the final 1:07 thanks to a bucket by Leshawnda Underwood and a three at the buzzer by Alexander. Mitchell led 42-37 at the break behind a strong effort by Williams, who scored all 13 of her points and corralled 11 rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.

Bay Path never got closer than five in the second half, and Mitchell eventually extended its lead to double digits for the final 5:37. The Mariners finished with a 32-20 edge in points in the paint and outscored the Wildcats' bench by a 28-5 margin.

Shepherd tied a season high with five three-pointers in the contest. Sophomore Toshina Jessamy scored eight points and dished out a season-high 10 assists to fuel the Mitchell offense.

All three Mitchell seniors who were playing in their final regular season home game found the scoring column. Mulloy had three blocks and three assists go along with her 17 points. Classmates Gloria Charles and Luany Gotay each made their first career starts and scored baskets in the second half. Charles made a lay-up off a nice feed in the lane from Diamond Thomas while Gotay made a steal on the defensive end and took it back up the floor for a lay-in.

Mitchell will next play at Newbury College on Wednesday, February 12 at 7 p.m. Bay Path will next host Southern Vermont College on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Holyoke Community College.