WBB Comes Up Short vs. Eastern Nazarene

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Eastern Nazarene College extended its winning streak to nine games with a 77-70 victory over Mitchell College on Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference women's basketball action at the Yarnall Athletic Center. 

Stevie Orton led all scorers with 23 points and added nine rebounds to pace the Lions, who improved to 11-1 (5-0 NECC) on the year. Kyra Fleharty also had a big game with 20 points and four boards.

Le'Sandra Turner led Mitchell (7-8 overall, 3-2 NECC) with 18 points and finished with nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Amina Wiley contributed a double-double of 17 points and 15 rebounds while Leilani McClellan chipped in 10 points. 

The teams played a tight first half, although ENC led 29-20 after the first quarter. Mitchell spent the entire second period playing from behind but whittled the deficit down in the final six minutes of the stanza. An 8-0 run pulled the Mariners to within one at 35-34 with 3:22 to go, although the Lions never let the lead slip away. 

Mitchell scored the final two buckets before intermission and trailed 41-39 heading into the locker room. Wiley netted 15 points in the half while Fleharty and Orton each contributed eight.

Eastern Nazarene pumped the lead to as many as seven in the third quarter and took a 61-56 lead into the final period. Mitchell trimmed the margin down to 61-60 early in the fourth but failed to capitalize, coming away empty on four straight trips down the floor with a chance at taking the lead.

The Lions recovered thanks to a three by Shante Slender which sparked a 10-1 run over a 1:40 span. ENC later took its largest lead of the contest when a jumper by Orton made it 75-63 with 2:54 to go.

Eastern Nazarene shot 50 percent as a team and went 8-for-21 from beyond the arc. Mitchell finished at 41 percent but shot only 2-for-11 from deep.

Mitchell will next play at Lesley University on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Nazarene returns to action at home against Bay Path University on Tuesday at 5 p.m.