QUINCY, Mass. – Senior Elia Salazar (Los Angeles, Calif.) recorded a team-high 10 points to help pace the Eastern Nazarene women's basketball team to a 46-39 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon.
With the win the Lions pick up their third straight win, improving to 13-8 overall and 8-6 in CCC play while the Leopards fall to 6-15 (2-12).
Eastern Nazarene took a 9-2 lead in the early stages of the first quarter with five of those points coming from senior Jasmine Mata (Santa Barbara, Calif.). Wentworth cut it to 11-6 with 2:14 left on a senior Rachael Camara (Fall River, Mass.) layup, however the Lions held a 14-6 lead at the end of the quarter.
Senior Carly Rogers (Scarborough, Maine) brought Wentworth within four after hitting one of two free throws with 5:07 left in the half, and, after a jumper by junior Jessica Franco (Phoenix, Ariz.), senior Megan McLaughlin (Southington, Conn.) made a layup with 3:06 left to once again make it a four-point game. However, Eastern Nazarene used an 8-0 run to close out the half and led by 12 at the break.
The third quarter saw the Leopards hold the Lions to 1-of-15 shooting (6.7 percent) however Eastern Nazarene would lead by seven at the end of the quarter. Wentworth, which shot 50 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter, began to make a run in the fourth quarter and outscored the hosts 12-7 to pull within a pair on a junior Kellie Messer (Hollis, N.H.) jumper with 4:17 left.
Five straight Eastern Nazarene points – capped off by a three from senior Jordan Grays (Henderson, Nev.) – made it 42-35 with 2:18 left and the Lions prevailed by six.
Mata added eight points for Eastern Nazarene while senior Nicole Greer (Odenton, Md.) had 13 rebounds. The Lions outrebounded the Leopards by a 58-40 margin. Both teams shot under 30 percent for the contest.
Rogers recorded a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds while recording four steals. Messer and sophomore Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) each scored eight while Camara added seven points, six rebounds, and five steals.
Wentworth is at Gordon on Wednesday. That same night Eastern Nazarene hosts Roger Williams.
