WPI 59, Babson 55

Box Score

Babson Park, MA --- WPI first-year Elle Fontaine (Franklin, MA) knocked down a foul-line jumper to give her team the lead with 52 seconds left and the Engineers recorded two key steals in the final minute as they claimed a 59-55 victory over host Babson  in NEWMAC women's basketball contest at Staake Gymnasium on Wednesday evening. With the win, WPI officially secured a first-round home game in the upcoming conference tournament, as they improved to 13-9 overall and 8-4 in league play. Meanwhile, Babson dropped to 11-13 overall and 6-6 in the NEWMAC, and will now have to travel for its quarterfinal contest.

Sophomore Kaileen Selen (Worcester, MA) led all players with 16 points to go along with six rebounds for the Engineers, while Fontaine finished with 13 points and eight boards. Senior co-captain Kate Maki (Fitchburg, MA) also netted 13 for the visitors, while sophomore Serena Dubois (Bangor, ME) chipped in with nine points and eight boards. The Engineers' defense came up with 12 steals in the victory, including four by junior Caitlin Macko (Cromwell, CT) and three more by Maki.

Senior Linsey Poulson (Leominster, MA) celebrated her final collegiate home game with her seventh double-double of the season, as she led Babson with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Senior co-captain Nicole McManus (Baldwinsville, NY) added 10 points in the loss, while senior Caitlin Fenn (Niantic, CT) chipped in with seven points, six boards, and four assists.

Babson began the game with an 11-4 run, but two late surges by WPI gave the visitors a 28-25 lead heading into the locker room. The Engineers then continued to maintain the advantage early in the second, going up by as many as four after a Selen three-pointer made it 33-29 with 17:45 left in the game.

After the Beavers regained the lead, Fontaine drained a three-pointer to put WPI back on top, 36-35, with just under 15 minutes remaining. However, Babson would hold the Engineers scoreless over the next six minutes, as an 11-0 run gave the Beavers their largest lead of the game, 46-36, with 9:17 to play. Poulson scored five straight points to cap that barrage, including a conventional three-point play with 9:39 remaining.

Babson still led by as many as eight, 51-43, after a McManus jumper with 4:55 on the clock, but Dubois cut it to five with a three-point play of her own at the four-minute mark. Beavers' sophomore Sarah Hughes (Wellesley, MA) then converted a lay-up off a beautiful drive and dish by first-year Kristy Benoit (Shrewsbury, MA) with 3:47 left, but WPI came storming back with eight straight points over the next 1:45. Maki hit a lay-up to make it a five-point game with 3:30 remaining, and Selen followed with a three-pointer at 2:47 to cut her team's deficit to two. Maki then drained another three at the two-minute mark to finish off the 8-0 run and give the Engineers a 54-53 lead.

After a time out, Poulson sank another bucket in the paint to put Babson back in front, 55-54, with 1:37 to play, but that would prove to be the Beavers' final points of the contest. With just over a minute remaining, Fontaine took a pass from Macko at the left elbow and drained a jumper to give the Engineers a 56-55 advantage, and on the ensuing possession, Macko came up with a huge steal at midcourt and drew a foul on the ensuing breakaway. She converted one of two from the line with 37.7 seconds remaining for a two-point lead, and Maki followed with another key steal with five seconds remaining to put the game away. Her two free throws with two ticks left resulted in the 59-55 final.

Release Courtesy Babson Sports Information