HOLYOKE, Mass. – The Lesley University women's basketball team saw three players finish in double-figures, but it was not enough to slow down Bay Path University as the Wildcats scored a 75-48 win tonight over the Lynx in New England Collegiate Conference play.
Lynx sophomore Courtney Goggin (Cheshire, Conn.) recorded her first career double-double with career-highs of 10 points and 15 rebounds to lead the guests while classmate Theresa Pereira (Hopedale, Mass.) came one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 14 points and nine boards. Pereira also added career-bests with four assists and four steals. Junior Hannah Levensailor (Ayer, Mass.) also boasted a career-high 12 points for the Lynx to go with five rebounds and three steals.
Bay Path junior Dallas Jackson (Springfield, Mass.) filled the stat sheet for the Wildcats, posting a line of 24 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and seven steals. Senior Elizabeth Haylette (Terryville, Conn.) followed Jackson with a double-double of her own, finishing with 14 points and ten caroms. Juniors Brenna Roy (Stafford Springs, N.Y.) and Aaliyah Gordon (Springfield, Mass.) each poured in ten for the hosts.
Pereira and junior Emily Meade (Derry, N.H.) powered an 8-4 run to open the game for the guests as the Lynx would not trail throughout the first quarter. A Jackson layup would cut the Wildcats deficit to two, 8-6, but a Goggin triple would spark a 7-3 spurt for Lesley to push their lead to six at 15-9. Bay Path would once again pull to within two, scoring the final four points of the quarter, including a buzzer-beating jumper off an offensive rebound by Haylette.
Levensailor would score the first six points for the Lynx in the second quarter and hold the Lesley lead to one, 21-20, but a Gordon jumper ignited a ferocious 18-3 run over the final 6:23 of the half as the Wildcats grabbed a 39-24 advantage heading into the locker room, a lead they would not relinquish.
Bay Path would push their edge to as many as 33 in the second half as they snapped an 8-game losing streak with the win.
The hosts shot 37% (30-of-81) on the floor and held a distinct advantage down low as they outrebounded the Lynx by a 59-46 margin and held a 46-26 edge in points in the paint. Lesley hit on 30% (20-of-67) on the night.
The Lynx will return home to Cambridge on Thursday and welcome NECC foe Daniel Webster College at 8:00p. The Wildcats will hit the road on Thursday and travel to Southern Vermont College in another NECC affair at 7:00p.