BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Carly Rogers (Scarborough, Maine) paced three players in double figures with 15 points to go along with seven rebounds as the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's basketball team held on for a 57-54 win over Pine Manor in a non-conference contest played at Tansey Gymnasium.
With the win the Leopards even their record to 4-4 overall while the Gators drop their eighth straight to stand at 1-9.
Pine Manor took a 5-2 lead with 6:01 left in the opening frame on a layup from senior Anastasia Walker (West Springfield, Mass.). Those would be the last points the visitors would score in the quarter as Rogers would score six of her team's next 10 points to give the Leopards a 12-5 lead after one quarter. Wentworth held the Gators to 11.8 percent over the first 10:00.
A three-point play by senior Alexis Lee (Akron, Ohio) cut the lead to 12-8, however Wentworth responded with a 6-0 run to take an 18-8 lead. The Leopards would lead by as many as 11 on a senior Rachael Camara (Fall River, Mass.) three pointer before the Gators pulled within five (23-18) on a freshman Taylor Martin (Merritt Island, Fla.) basket with 1:04 left and the game would remain at that score at the half.
Martin opened the second half with a basket to cut the lead to three, however the Leopards used a 7-0 run – with five points coming from senior Megan McLaughlin (Southington, Conn.) – to lead by 10. Pine Manor scored on its next possession, but Wentworth responded with a 10-1 run to up its lead to 40-24 with 3:35 left on a freshman Baylor Johnson (Greer, S.C.) jumper. The Gators scored five of the next six points to make it a 12-point game after three quarters.
McLaughlin nailed a three pointer and freshman Michelle McCloskey (Madison, Conn.) hit a jumper to give the hosts a 46-29 lead early in the fourth quarter. An 8-3 spurt, which was capped off by a Lee trifecta, made it a 49-41 game with 4:26 remaining. Camara had a pair of layups sandwiched around a senior Khiyana Isaac (Roxbury, Mass.) basket made it 53-43 with 2:54 left, however the Gators used a 7-0 run to bring the lead to three with 1:20 left. Both teams missed shots over the next 1:05 and McLaughlin hit one of two free throws to make it 54-50 with 15 seconds left.
Martin hit two free throws with 10 seconds left to pull within two and Camara hit one of two freebies on the next possession to make it a three-point game with 8.7 seconds left. Sophomore Erica Jones (Atlanta, Ga.) hit a layup with 3.2 seconds left to make it a one-point game. Camara would be fouled with 1.1 second left and sank both her free throws to make it 57-54. Lee's half court attempt to tie the game rimmed out as the Black & Gold held on.
In addition to Rogers, Camara scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, had three blocks, and four steals while McLaughlin added 13 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Sophomore Courtney McCormick (Hanson, Mass.) had 11 rebounds in the win.
Lee led all scorers with 19 points while Martin and Isaac had nine points apiece.
Wentworth closes out first semester play Saturday at Suffolk while Pine Manor is idle until traveling to Simmons on January 5.
