NEW LONDON, Conn. – Mitchell College shot over 50-percent in the first half as they secured the regular season sweep of Lesley University with a 78-44 victory this afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference action. The win is Mariners sixth in their last seven games as they improve to 10-12 on the year and 10-6 in the NECC while the Lynx fall to 1-20 overall and 1-13 in the conference.
The Mariners had three players finish in double-figures led by sophomore Jessica Shepherd (West Hartford, Conn.) who recorded a game-high 19 points. Shepherd was extremely efficient on the afternoon, shooting 6-of-7 from the floor including going 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Freshman Ashleigh Beauford (Newington, Conn.) and sophomore Samantha Ryan (Quaker Hill, Conn.) came off the bench to combine for 24 points and 12 rebounds while junior Diamond Thomas (Hartford, Conn.) added four points and a game-high five assists.
Lesley junior Ari Dimou (Manchester, N.H.) led the Lynx attack as she went a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range on her way to a team-best 16 points. Sophomore Emily Meade (Derry, N.H.) scored seven points and pulled down a game-high eight boards while senior Anthea Rathjens (Sudbury, Mass.) chipped in with five points and four steals. Junior Jackie Ewing (Hong Kong) finished with nine points for the guests.
The Mariners led wire-to-wire as they scored the game's first ten points thanks to three triples from Shepherd over the first four minutes of play. The hosts kept their foot on the gas throughout the opening twenty minutes as they rolled into the break with a 40-22 edge.
Mitchell held a distinct 42-30 edge on the glass and turned 14 Lynx giveaways into 14 points. The Mariners also got some key contributions from their reserves as their bench outscored Lesley's by a 32-3 margin.
The Lynx return to action on Monday as they travel to Bay Path College at 6:00p in a matchup rescheduled from January 27th. The Mariners will play host to Newbury College on Tuesday at 7:30p in their final home regular season contest of the season.