NEWTON, Mass. – Senior Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) recorded her first double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds to propel the Wentworth women's basketball team to its first victory of the season, 62-54, against Wheelock College Saturday afternoon in the Mustang Classic hosted by Mount Ida College.
With the win Leopards move to 1-2 overall, while the Wildcats drop to 0-2 on the campaign.
Wentworth took a 6-2 lead in the first quarter after a Sabino layup and built its lead to six (11-5) after Sabino put home a second-chance basket. Wheelock scored the next five points to pull within one but a three-point play by Sabino extended the lead to 14-10 with 3:16 remaining. Sabino's three points would be the last the Leopards would score in the quarter as Wheelock scored the final seven to take a 17-10 lead.
Scoring the first five points of the second quarter, the Black & Gold reclaimed the lead after freshman Erin Morton (Norway, Maine) converted a three-point play. The Wildcats took a 20-19 lead on a three pointer from freshman Alivia Damper (Reston, Va.) and, after Damper hit another three led, 23-21. Two free throws from senior Katie Walsh (East Islip, N.Y.) increased Wheelock's lead to four (25-21). Using an 8-3 run, Wentworth took a 29-28 lead on a sophomore Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass) jumper and McGibbon broke a 29-all tie with a late layup to give Wentworth a 31-29 lead at the break.
Wentworth used a 16-6 scoring edge in the third quarter to take a 47-35 advantage as Sabino and McGibbon each had five points in the frame. The Leopards led by 10 with 8:10 remaining in the contest before Wheelock closed back to within five on a pair of occasions, the last coming on a lay-in by Damper with 3:02 to play to slice the Wildcats' deficit to 55-50. Wentworth iced its triumph by converting seven of eight free throws down the stretch, including three by junior Francesca Matira (Ledyard, Conn.) in the final 35 seconds that accounted for the final margin.
McGibbon and Sabino were the lone pair to reach double digits in scoring for the Leopards, who also received nine points from Matira to go along with six rebounds and three steals from freshman Stephanie Mini (Topsfield, Mass.). Wentworth held a 37-34 rebounding edge in the contest, as the Leopards converted 26 Wheelock turnovers into 13 points. Sabino's 28 points and 17 rebounds over the two-day stretch earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.
Walsh notched a double-double effort of 19 points, 10 rebounds a pair of blocks in the setback for the Wildcats, who received a game-high 20 points and six steals from Damper. Senior Gaby Haywood (Longmeadow, Mass.) and junior Sarah Tobin (Salisbury, Mass.) combined for nine points and 13 caroms for Wheelock, which shot 41 percent (17-42) for the contest.
Wentworth will be idle until Monday, November 27 when the Leopards host Emerson in a non-league affair at 7:00 p.m., while Wheelock will host Eastern Nazarene on November 27 in Boston beginning at 7:30 p.m.
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