SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Junior Meghan Gilhool (Montrose, Pa.) connected on 8-of-10 shots from the floor for 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds as the Western New England University women's basketball team defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology, 83-57, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Tuesday night.
With the win the Golden Bears improve to 10-5 overall and 6-2 in league play while the Leopards slip to 2-13 (1-7).
Through the first 3:44 the teams battled back and forth as there were four ties. Wentworth trailed 8-6 before taking an 13-8 lead with 3:38 remaining, thanks to a senior Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) layup and a three pointer and jumper from sophomore Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.). Western New England closed out the first quarter on an 8-0 run and took a 16-13 lead on a freshman Emily Scurka (Billerica, Mass.) layup late in the quarter.
Western New England held Wentworth off the scoreboard for the first 2:12 of the second quarter and built its lead to 22-13. After freshman Tan'eja Drayton (Roxbury, Mass.) hit a three to end the spurt, the Golden Bears used a 10-2 run and took a 32-18 lead after a senior Dorothy O'Neill (Staten Island, N.Y.) jumper with just over three minutes left in the half. Freshman Stephanie Mini (Topsfield, Mass.) halted the run with a three pointer, however the hosts scored the final seven points of the quarter to lead, 39-21, at the break.
The Leopards used long-range shooting to pull within 11 (40-31) as Mini, senior Courtney McCormick (Hanson, Mass.), and freshman Erin Morton (Norway, Maine) each hit shots from behind the arc after Western New England scored the first points of the half. A 12-1 Golden bear run extended the lead to 20 midway through the third quarter and the hosts led, 67-39, through three quarters.
Western New England extended its lead to as many as 35 with 3:27 remaining in the final stanza to claim the win.
Gilhool was one of four Golden Bears to score in double figures as she was joined by sophomore Emily Farrell (New Fairfield, Conn.), who scored 16, O'neill who added 12, and Scurka, who chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds. Western New England had a 49-20 rebounding advantage, thanks in part to sophomore Meghan Orbann (East Hampton, Conn.) who had a game-high 11 caroms.
Mini, Sabino, and sophomore Samantha Madden (Plainville, Mass.) each scored 12 points for Wentworth while McCormick and junior Michelle McCloskey (Madison, Conn.) each had five rebounds. McCloskey also had five blocked shots.
Wentworth is at Roger Williams Thursday.
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