BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.) scored 12 points and junior Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) added 10 to help the Wentworth Institute of technology women's basketball team snap a 13-game losing streak with a 54-49 victory over Gordon in Commonwealth Coast Conference play Saturday afternoon.
The Leopards, who won for the first time since Dec. 10, improve to 3-20 overall and pick up their first CCC win (1-15). The Fighting Scots dropped their fourth straight contest to stand at 7-16 (5-11).
Wentworth led by as many as four on a pair of occasions in the first quarter, including on a jumper from senior Kellie Messer (Hollis, N.H.). Four Gordon free throws from junior Kristen Smith (Littleton, Mass.) evened the score however McGibbon hit her third three of the quarter to give the hosts a 13-10 lead 40 second left. Smith tied the game at 13-alll with four seconds left with a three-point play in transition which began on a steal from sophomore Olivia Stark (Arvada, Colo.). The Leopards held the Fighting Scots to 18.8 percent shooting from the floor and scored eight of their 13 points off eight turnovers.
After Sabino opened the second quarter with a layup, Gordon used a 7-0 run – capped off by a three pointer from freshman Alisha Henderson (Oregon City, Ore.) – to take a 20-15 lead with just under eight minutes left. Six straight Wentworth points, including four from freshman Emily Magasic (West Milford, N.J.), gave the Leopards a 21-20 lead with 4:15 left in the half. The teams battled back and forth with Wentworth taking a three-point lead on two occasions, including on a basket from Magasic with 40 seconds left and the hosts led, 29-26, at the break.
Wentworth opened the third quarter on an 8-2 run and took a 10-point advantage on a McGibbon jumper. McGibbon then gave the Leopards their largest lead of the contest (12) when she hit a free throw with 3:33 left. Gordon scored the final four points of the half – all on free throws – as sophomore Brooke Dyson (Houston, Texas) and freshman Meghan Foley (Malden, Mass.) each went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to cut the lead to 44-36.
The Leopards brought the lead back to double figures twice in the opening moments of the fourth quarter as two free throws from Sabino made it 46-36 and, after a junior Jenna Olson (Rutland, Vt.) basket brought the lead to eight, junior Courtney McCormick (Hanson, Mass.) made it a 10-point game.
Neither team would score for the next 2:40 as Gordon would score the next four points and made it a six-point game with 4:42 left. McCormick drained a three with 3:54 left, making it a nine-point game and Foley had a putback on the next possession to make it 51-44 with 3:35 left. Nearly three minutes would go by before either team scored again and Henderson made it 51-47 with 37 seconds left. Stark cut the deficit to two with two free throws with 26 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, sophomore Francesca Matira (Ledyard, Conn.) hit one of two free throw to make it a three-point game. With eight seconds left, Smith missed a game-tying three attempt and Sabino sealed the win with two free throws with five ticks to go.
In addition to McGibbon and Sabino, McCormick finished with nine points. Messer, who was honored before the game as a part of Senior Day festivities, had eight points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals while Magasic finished with eight points.
Foley led all scorers with 13 points while freshman Sarah Gibbs (Elizabethtown, Pa.) had eight points and 15 rebounds.
Wentworth hosts Curry on Wednesday. That same night, Gordon hosts the University of New England.
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