Women's hoops off to first 4-0 conference start since 1994-95 season

January 13, 2007

SOUTH HADLEY, MA- During a clash between two of the three first-place women's basketball teams in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), freshman Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford) gave Wheaton College the lead for good with 3:47 remaining as the Blue and White downed Mount Holyoke College, 68-63 on Saturday at Kendall Hall. With its fifth straight win, Wheaton is 9-5 overall and off to its first 4-0 conference start since 1994-95. Mount Holyoke saw a four-game win streak snapped in falling to 10-5 and 3-1. Babson College, which is also undefeated in the league, plays tonight.

After Mount Holyoke senior Angela Astuccio (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) canned a three-pointer to knot the game at 58 with 3:58 left in regulation, Champney dropped in a lay-up 11 seconds later to ignite a 6-0 run. Senior Kim McCormack (Milton, MA/Milton) added a hoop to pad Wheaton's lead and make it 62-58 at 3:04, and the visiting Lyons forced the hosts into four straight misses before sophomore Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) tacked on a Wheaton bucket at 1:18 for a 64-58 advantage.

Mount Holyoke senior Joeanna Silvey (Boston, MA/Thayer Academy) connected from well beyond the arc with 42 seconds showing to keep the hosts within a possession, and junior teammate Marisa Barone (Ludlow, MA/Wilbraham and Monson Academy) converted a lay-up with 29 seconds left to make it 65-63 in favor of Wheaton. However, the hosts missed a pair of free throws shortly thereafter that could have trimmed the deficit, and after Champney hit a freebie to push the score to 66-63, Mount Holyoke's game-tying three-point attempt was off the mark with eight seconds left. The hosts ended the contest by missing nine of 11 shots following Astuccio's three.

Wheaton began the game by holding a pair of four-point leads during the first 4:28 before the hosts used an 18-6 spurt to take a 22-14 advantage with 7:59 to go in the opening half. Silvey's basket with 5:14 left put Wheaton in a 28-18 hole, but Hickey canned three-pointers on two of the next three possessions, Champney followed with two hoops, and McCormack knocked down two freebies with eight seconds left to make the score 34-30 at intermission.

The hosts went up, 36-30 early in the second stanza before Hickey responded with five straight points, and neither team led by more than four points during a 17:15 stretch until Hickey's hoop with 1:18 remaining. Wheaton junior Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) knocked down a three-pointer to knot the score at 45 with 11:47 to go and, after Mount Holyoke tallied the next four points, McCormack keyed a 7-0 run by converting a three-point play that put Wheaton on top. Consecutive baskets by Silvey put Mount Holyoke back in front, 53-52 at 5:37, and the lead changed hands twice as Champney's pair of free throws was matched by another Silvey hoop. After senior Casey Sorbara (Port Chester, NY/Trinity Catholic) and Champney each recorded a bucket to put Wheaton on top, 58-55, Astuccio drained her game-tying three to set up the exciting finish.

Hickey led the visiting Lyons with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, hitting 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc, while turning in four steals. Champney added 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while McCormack contributed 10 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Jennie Pleat (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) was another key reserve, as she shot 5-of-6 for 10 points, while Sorbara guided the offense with 10 assists.

Astuccio and Silvey each tallied 19 points and seven boards, as Astuccio knocked down a trio of long-range shots. Barone collected 10 points and nine caroms, while freshman Michelle Kowalski (Springfield, MA/Sabis International) tallied eight points, five rebounds and four blocks off the bench.

Wheaton hosts NEWMAC foe Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/31/07.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.

News Headlines

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Upcoming Schedule

25-Nov Tue RPI (NY) H 6:00pm (Live Stats)
2-Dec Tue Roger Williams A 7:00pm
4-Dec Thu Brandeis H 8:00pm