BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Nicole Rice (Woburn, Mass.) had a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to help pace the Curry College women's basketball team to a 51-40 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology in Commonwealth Coast Conference play Wednesday night.
With the win the Colonels snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 10-14 overall and 8-9 in CCC play while the Leopards fall to 3-21 (1-16).
Both teams struggled offensively at the start of the game with the first points not being scored until just over three minutes had elapsed. Curry took a 5-0 lead on a three pointer from freshman Lovashia Rosario (Worcester, Mass.) and a pair of free throws from Rice. Wentworth finally got on the board with 2:33 left in the frame when sophomore Baylor Johnson (Greer, S.C.) made a layup. Freshman Emily Magasic (West Milford, N.J.) made a layup to make it 5-4 before freshman Sam Bamford (Easton, Mass.) made it 7-4 with a pair of free throws. Freshman Samantha Madden (Plainville, Mass.) beat the buzzer with a jumper to make it a one-point game (7-6) after the opening 10 minutes of play.
A 9-3 run to open the second quarter, capped off by a basket from sophomore Michelle McCloskey (Madison, Conn.) gave the Leopards a 15-10 lead with 8:27 remaining. The hosts led by five (17-12) with 4:15 left in the half on a sophomore Francesca Matira (Ledyard, Conn.) jumper, however, the Colonels got back-to-back layups from Bamford and sophomore Molly Plunkett (Quincy, Mass.) to make it a 17-16 game with 3:10 left and Bamford hit one of two free throws to tie the game with 2:06 left. Junior Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) made a jumper on the next possession which gave the Black & Gold the lead going into the locker room.
Wentworth led by as many as six on three occasions in the third quarter, including on a three pointer from freshman Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.) with 6:25 left and again after a Magasic layup with 2:17 left. Rice hit a three and Plunkett hit two free throws to cut the lead to one with 37 seconds left before Sabino hit one of two free throws with 20 seconds left, giving Wentworth a 33-31 lead.
Curry outscored the Leopards, 20-7, in the fourth quarter thanks in part to holding Wentworth to just one field goal on 13 attempts. Rosario and Rice opened the frame hitting shots to give the Colonels a 35-33 lead before Sabino hit two free throws to even the score at 35-all. A three pointer from Plunkett ignited a 9-2 run and gave Curry a 44-37 lead with 4:25 left and the Colonels, who held the Leopards without a field goal over the final 7:06, put away the win.
Plunkett also scored in double figures for Curry, scoring 11 points while Bamford and Rosario had eight points apiece. The Colonels had a 44-38 rebounding advantage and held Wentworth to 20.6 percent shooting from the floor for the game.
Sabino led the Leopards with 14 points while senior Kellie Messer had six rebounds.
Wentworth wraps up the 2016-17 campaign on Saturday at Roger Williams while Curry end the regular season at home against Eastern Nazarene on Saturday afternoon.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
February 18, 2017
Women's Basketball Closes Out Season at Roger Williams
February 15, 2017
Curry Rallies to Top Women's Basketball in Home Finale
February 11, 2017
Women's Basketball Fends Off Gordon to Snap Losing Streak
February 8, 2017
Women's Basketball Tripped up at Salve Regina
January 31, 2017
Eastern Nazarene Roars Past Women's Basketball
January 28, 2017
Endicott Pulls Away From Women's Basketball
January 25, 2017
First Half Run Sends Nor'Easters Past Women's Basketball
January 21, 2017
Nichols Outlasts Women's Basketball
January 17, 2017
Gordon Pulls Away From Women's Basketball
January 14, 2017
Salve Regina Holds off Women's Basketball's Late Charge
January 11, 2017
Women's Basketball Falls at Curry
January 7, 2017
Roger Williams Soars Past Women's Basketball
January 5, 2017
Fast Start Pushes Western New England Past Women's Basketball
January 3, 2017
Third Quarter Run Pushes Endicott Past Women's Basketball
December 14, 2016
Women's Basketball Closes First Semester With Loss at Emerson
December 10, 2016
Fourth Quarter Rally Lifts Women's Basketball Past Pine Manor
December 6, 2016
Women's Basketball Drops Road Contest at Eastern Nazarene
December 3, 2016
Strong Second Half Lifts Nichols Past Women's Basketball
November 30, 2016
Women's Basketball Opens CCC Play With Loss to UNE
November 28, 2016
Women's Basketball Falls to Suffolk
November 22, 2016
Women's Basketball Races to First Victory
November 19, 2016
Rhode Island College Fends Off Late Charge by Women's Basketball
November 18, 2016
Strong First Quarter Helps Pace Brandeis Past Women's Basketball
November 15, 2016
Women's Basketball Drops Season Opener
November 10, 2016
CCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll Released