Team Effort Leads WBB Past Daniel Webster
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Daniel Webster (3-8, 2-3) | 13 | 9 | 20 | 16 | 58 |
|
Mitchell (3-6, 2-2) | 22 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 65 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – A balanced scoring attack led the Mitchell College women's basketball team to a 65-58 victory over Daniel Webster College on Tuesday evening in New England Collegiate Conference action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
A total of 10 players found their way into the scoring column as the Mariners shot a season-high 40 percent in the contest. Amanda Garcia was the only Mitchell player in double figures with 11 points and also handed out five assists. Chelsea Newman came off the bench to add nine points while Francesca Pinard added eight and Savannah Boyle and Diamond Thomas each chipped in with seven.
Ashley England posted a game-high 21 points that included a 13-for-14 effort at the charity stripe to pace the Eagles. Jillian Gilman added 13 points and seven rebounds while Amanda Dargie contributed 11 points. McKenzie Stone finished with eight points and five rebounds off the bench.
Mitchell never trailed in the contest thanks to a strong opening quarter. Boyle drilled a three on the first possession to get things started, and the Mariners built the lead to as large as 12 before closing out the stanza with a 22-13 cushion. The second quarter offered more of the same, as a deep three by Kate McCormack at the buzzer gave Mitchell a 13-9 edge in the period and a 35-22 advantage at the break.
After trailing by as many as 15 in the early moments of the third quarter, Daniel Webster inched back into the game as Dargie and England carried the offensive load. Dargie finished with eight points in the stanza while England went 6-for-6 from the line as the Eagles trimmed the deficit to single digits at 51-42 at the end of three.
Mitchell responded by scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter, a stretch that included two three-pointers from Lehayla Cruz. Her second trey bumped the lead to 59-42 with 7:28 to play, the largest lead of the night for the Mariners. The Eagles clawed back into the mix by netting 14 of the next 16 points to pull within five at 61-56 with a minute to go. However, Pinard and Boyle each drained a pair of free throws in the final minute to seal the win for Mitchell.
Cruz and McCormack finished with six points apiece while Samantha Ryan grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to go with five points. The Mariners finished the game with a 32-8 edge in bench scoring
Mitchell (3-6 overall, 2-2 NECC) will next host Wheelock College on Thursday, January 14 at 3 p.m. Daniel Webster (3-8 overall, 2-3 NECC) will next host Southern Vermont College on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
