Late Three by Jones Pushes WBB Past Becker

Late Three by Jones Pushes WBB Past Becker

LEICESTER, Mass. -- The Mitchell College women's basketball team picked up a 58-54 victory over Becker College on Thursday evening in a clash of New England Collegiate Conference rivals at the Leicester Gymnasium.

The Mariners (7-9 overall, 6-2 NECC) were led by Dejia Santana who scored 16 points with four rebounds off the bench in just 14 minutes. Allegra Jones--who hit a go-ahead three-pointer in the game's final minute--scored 15 points with four rebounds and three steals. Ashleigh Beauford posted 10 points with eight boards while Francesca Pinard finished with a team-high nine rebounds and six points. The Mariners, who have now won five of their last six games, held a 21-8 edge in bench scoring in the contest.

The Hawks (8-7 overall, 4-3 NECC) were led by Cassidy Harrison with 28 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Adrianna Dowdy posted a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 5-for-9 from the floor. Sarah Ware pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds while dishing out a career-best five assists, and Allie Ablondi came off the bench to score eight points in just 11 minutes.

After Mitchell opened the second quarter with an 11-0 run to take a 22-14 lead, Becker closed out the first half with a 16-2 rally, a stretch that included eight points from Ablondi. The Hawks led 30-24 at halftime.

Becker extended the margin in the third, scoring seven straight points to lead by as much as 13. Ware capped off the run with a jumper with 4:51 to go in the quarter, and the Hawks later led 42-38 going into the fourth.

In the final quarter, Becker went cold from the floor as Mitchell scored the first eight points to surge into the lead. The Mariners took a four-point advantage when Beauford hit a three with 7:06 to go to put the visitors up 46-42. Later in the fourth, with the Hawks trailing by three with 58 seconds to go, Harrison attacked the rim and converted a three-point play to make it 54-54 after the free throw.

The Mariners found their own answer with 31 seconds to go, as Jones nailed a three-pointer to put Mitchell ahead for good. Becker was unable to answer and was forced to foul, and the visitors escaped with the win.

Becker is back on the court on Saturday, January 20 when it plays host to Elms College in a 1:00 p.m. NECC matchup. Mitchell travels to Lesley University for ots next game on Sunday, January 21 with tip-off coming at noon.