BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Erica Jones (Atlanta, Ga.) scored 20 points to lead the Pine Manor women's basketball team over Wentworth Institute of Technology, 65-50, Saturday afternoon in non-conference action inside Tansey Gymnasium.
With the win the Gators snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 4-6 on the season while the Leopards fall to 1-7.
Both teams traded opening baskets before Pine Manor junior Aleah Lauti (Millbrae, Ca.) ignited a 7-1 spurt to double up on the Leopards, 12-6, with 4:03 remaining in the first quarter. The Leopards turned a 9-2 run of their own, including a three-point stretch for sophomore Samantha Madden (Plainville, Mass.), to trail the visitors by a single possession, 18-15 heading into the second frame. The Gators used 35 percent shooting to outscore Wentworth 16-8 in the second quarter, with six points coming from Jones, to give Pine Manor a comfortable 34-23 advantage going into the break.
Despite the Gators taking their largest lead of the game (46-27) on a layup from freshman Kayleigh Merrell (Wilmington, N.C.) with 4:41 to go in the third quarter, Wentworth used a 13-2 run to pull within eight points, capped by a deep three-pointer from senior Courtney McCormick (Hanson, Mass.). The single digit margin wouldn't last long, however, as Merrell sunk a layup as time expired for the ten-point cushion, 50-40, after three quarters.
Wentworth opened the final quarter on an eight-point charge, while holding the visitors to just two points. With 5:56 on the clock, Stephanie Mini (Topsfield, Mass.) turned a steal into a two-point play, to shrink the deficit 52-48, but cold shooting from the home team kept their score at 48 until the two-minute mark. Merrell scored eight of her team's next 10 points over the next two minutes to grab Pine Manor's double-digit lead back.
Pine Manor shot 39 percent from the floor compared to Wentworth's 22.5 percent, and held a 60-46 advantage on the glass.
In addition to her 20 points, Jones also had four assists while Merrell added 18 points on 9-for-12 shooting and hauled down 15 rebounds. Senior Shaquanda Middleton (Savannah, Ga.) had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Two Leopards reached double digits on the scoreboard, led by Madden with 12. Mini followed with 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting with nine rebounds, leading all home players on the glass. Sophomore Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.), Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.), and McCloskey all pitched in with five points in the setback.
Wentworth returns to Tansey Gymnasium on Tuesday, December 12 for a 7:00 p.m. matchup against Mitchell College in its last home game of 2017. Pine Manor is off until after the New Year, and returns to play on Wednesday, January 3 with a 4:00 p.m. home tilt with Newbury.
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