CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Daniel Webster College spoiled the season finale for Lesley University with a 69-54 victory in New England Collegiate Conference women's basketball action this evening at the Nicholas Athletics Center. The win improves the Eagles to 7-18 on the year and 7-11 in NECC play as they have locked up a trip to the conference tournament for the seventh straight season. Lesley's season ends with a record of 2-23 overall and 2-16 in the NECC.
The Eagles were led by junior Ashley England (Old Town, Maine) who dumped in a game-high 26 points to go with her five rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Freshman Escarlin Raynoso (Lawrence, Mass.) added 15 points for the Eagles while sophomore Kayla Free (Quincy, Mass.) chipped in with 11 points, eight rebounds, and four steals.
Junior Ari Dimou (Manchester, N.H.) led the Lynx with a team-high 11 points while senior Anthea Rathjens (Sudbury, Mass.) fell one point shy of a double-double as she finished with nine points and a game-best 14 rebounds. Freshman Kerry Flaherty (Woburn, Mass.) also came a single point away of a double-double as she registered nine points while grabbing 11 caroms. Classmates Kelsey Lynch (Rumford, R.I.) and Courtney Goggin (Cheshire, Conn.) both came off the bench to score eight points apiece for the Lynx.
The Eagles started the game on an 8-1 streak capped by a Raynoso drive and finish, but the Lynx answered with an 11-4 run over the next 4:09 to knot the score at 12-12. Lesley would grab their first lead of the game, 16-15, at the 7:38 mark of the first half following back-to-back buckets from Goggin and Rathjens. The lead would not last long, however, as Daniel Webster went on a ferocious 19-4 run fueled by ten points from England as the Eagles took control with a 34-19 edge. The Eagles would not trail again in the game.
Daniel Webster would not slow down after the break as they opened the second half on a 15-6 spurt to grow a lead as big as 22 points before rolling to the 69-54 victory.
The Lynx won the battle on the glass as they out-rebounded the Eagles by a 55-44 margin, but the visitors were aided by 30 Lesley turnovers that turned into 25 points.
Daniel Webster is slated to take on second-seeded Elms College in the first round of the NECC Championship on Tuesday night.