Eastern Nazarene Roars Past Women's Basketball

BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Shelby Holmes (Seeley Lake, Mont.) scored 12 points to help the Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team defeat Wentworth Institute of Technology, 62-40, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Tuesday night at Tansey Gymnasium.

With the win the Lions pick up their second win in their last three contests to improve to 13-6 overall and 7-6 in league play while the Leopards fall to 2-18 (0-13).

After junior Kayla Torio (Manteca, Calif.) opened the game with a three, junior Haley Sabino put the Leopards on top with five straight points and classmate Courtney McCormick (Hanson, Mass.) followed with a three to extend the lead to 8-3 with 5:31 left in the opening quarter.

Back-to-back threes from junior Jacquelin Arretche (Los Banos, Calif.) put the visitors on top, 9-8, however McCormick answered with a jumper giving Wentworth a 10-9 lead and Sabino extended the lead to 11-9 when she hit one of two free throws with 3:19 left. Junior Ashley Rendon (La Puente, Calif.) hit a free throw with 53 seconds left to make it 11-10 after the opening 10 minutes. The Leopards held Eastern Nazarene to 20 percent shooting (3-for-15) in the first quarter.

Eastern Nazarene took the lead for good with a 24-5 second quarter run. Junior Jaysa Cooper (Fisco, Texas) tied the game with a free throw and Torio hit a three to give the Lions a 14-11 lead. Freshman Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.) cut the lead to one with a layup, however Eastern Nazarene used a 12-2 run to take a 26-11 lead after Torio hit another three and led by 18 (34-16) at halftime. The Lions shot 50 percent from the floor in the second quarter while holding the Leopards to 11.8 percent.

Eastern Nazarene repeated its 50 percent shooting in the third quarter and used a 16-9 advantage to swell its lead to 25 at the end of three. The Lions led by as many as 29 early in the fourth quarter before settling for the 22-point victory.

Torio had 11 points and seven rebounds in the win while freshman Bailee Smith (Plano, Texas) added eight points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Freshman Amanda Cuervo (Whittier, Calif.) had seven points and 10 rebounds.

Sabino led the Leopards with 10 points while freshmen Samantha Madden (Plainville, Mass.) and Emily Magasic (West Milford, N.J.) had six points apiece. Senior Kellie Messer (Hollis, N.H.) had six rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

Wentworth is at Western New England on Saturday while Eastern Nazarene hosts Maine-Presque Isle on Thursday.

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