BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Carly Rogers' (Scarborough, Maine) 18 points, six rebounds and five steals lead The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's basketball team to its second straight victory, a 61-50 triumph over the visiting Fighting Scots of Gordon College in Commonwealth Coast Conference action at Tansey Gymnasium.
With the victory, the Leopards improve to 7-11 and 4-8 CCC play while Gordon drops to 5-14 and 1-11 in the league.
Gordon opened the game on a 13-5 run sparked by a pair of three pointers from seniors Clancey Adams (Simsbury, Conn.) and Skylar Bareford (Stonington, Conn.). The Leopards quickly battled back with solid defense and a pair of jumpers from Rogers along with a layup from Kellie Messer (Hollis, N.H.) to cut the deficit to four at 15-11, with 10:12 to play in the first half. After the Leopards got within two at 15-13, Olivia Vetere (Mahopac, N.Y.) hit a running layup to extend the Gordon lead to 19-13 with 6:50 to play in the half. The Black & Gold would rally again behind an 8-4 run highlighted by an Ashley Stowe (Charlestown, R.I.) post-up layup and jumper from the left side. Rogers would then get fouled with 1:35 left in the half and tie the game at 23. But the Fighting Scots finished the half scoring the last four points, and led 27-23 as they headed into locker room.
The Leopards opened the second half on an 8-0 run to erase the four point deficit and take a 31-27 lead with 16:45 to play. After a Fredi Neilsen (Bridgeport, Conn.) layup, Kendra Kerr (Marshfield, Mass.) scored on the fast break to push the lead to six, 33-27. Stowe then hit a layup as she cut to the basket off a feed from Kerr and extended the Leopards lead to 35-29 with 15:15 remaining.
A Christine Henry (Tewksbury, Mass.) driving layup gave Wentworth a 10 point lead, 41-31 with 11:12 to play in the half.
Gordon's Brooke Kratche (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) would hit a corner jump shot and a driving layup on consecutive possessions to get the Fighting Scots within six at 41-35, but the Leopards responded from behind the arc with a sophomore Rachael Camara (Fall River, Mass.) 3-pointer and long jump-shot from classmate Megan McLaughlin (Southington, Conn.) to give Wentworth a 48-38 lead with 7:28 remaining in the half.
Another Vetere layup got The Fighting Scots back within five at 50-45, at the 5:00 mark after before an Ali Pease (Harmony, Maine) free throw made the score 52-48 with 2:55 left, capping an 8-4 Gordon spurt. After three consecutive stops on the defensive end, Rogers hit four free-throws to give the Leopards an eight-point lead at 56-48 with 50 seconds remaining. The Leopards would add five free throws in the final minute to take the game 61-50.
To go along with Rogers' 18 points, Stowe added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Kerr tallied 14 rebounds and 10 points to go along with three assists and three steals. Camara added nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. McLaughlin led the Leopards with seven assists while she chipped in six points and two rebounds.
The Fighting Scots were led by Neilsen's 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Vetere was the only other Gordon player with double-digit points, as she scored 10 points. Kratche added nine points, six rebounds and a steal while Skylar Bareford (Stonington, Conn.) chipped in four points, four rebounds, and two assists in the losing effort.
Wentworth hosts the University of New England on Tuesday February 4, while Gordon hosts Western New England that same day.
