WPI 50, Babson 41 - NEWMAC Tournament First Round

Box Score

Worcester, MA --- Kate Maki (Fitchburg, MA) equaled her career-high with 13 points, including four 3-pointers, to help lift fourth-seeded WPI to a 50-41 victory over fifth-seeded Babson in a NEWMAC Women's Basketball Tournament first round contest on Wednesday. 

With the win, WPI (15-9) reaches the semifinals for the third straight year and will face top-seed and host Wheaton at 1pm on Saturday.  Second seed Coast Guard will face third-seeded Springfield in the other semifinal.  Babson sees its season come to an end with a 12-14 record.

Both teams started slow, going nearly the first three minutes without scoring, before Babson's Caitlin Fenn (Niantic, CT) connected on a jumper.  It would be the Beavers' only lead of the game as WPI quickly responded with 13 straight points, bookended by 3-pointers from Maki.   

The Engineers then used a 7-0 spurt at the end of the half to take a 29-12 advantage into the locker room at the half.  Babson would not go away, cutting the lead to six at 42-36 with just under seven minutes remaining, but WPI freshman Elle Fontaine (Franklin, MA) helped keep the visitors at bay by draining a trio of 3-pointers in the last nine minutes of the contest. 

Fontaine ended the day with 11 points while Kaileen Selen (Worcester, MA) overcame a rough shooting night by registering nine rebounds and four assists to go along with her 10 points.  Freshman center Charlotte McDonnell (Swansea, MA) equaled her career-high with eight rebounds while Serena Dubois (Bangor, ME) chipped in with six boards and four steals.

Fenn paced the Beavers offensively with 12 points while Leigh Myer (Seattle, WA) added 10.  Vanessa Lovering (Hollis, NH) pulled down a team-best six boards for the Beavers while Caitlin Boulier (Wolcott, CT) led all players with six assists.  Fenn also had a solid game defensively, picking up six of Babson's 15 steals on the night.