WPI 56, Wellesley
46
Box
Score
Babson Park, MA --- Sophomore guard Lauren
Hannmann (East Greenbush, NY) knocked down three clutch
three-pointers midway through the second half to help the
second-seeded WPI Engineers pull away from upset-minded sixth-seed
Wellesley College en route to a 56-46 win in the semifinal round of
the 2010 NEWMAC Women's Basketball Tournament at Babson College on
Saturday afternoon.
With the win, WPI (19-8) increased its season-long win streak to
six games and advanced to the NEWMAC Finals for the first time
since 2007. The Engineers will take on top-seeded host Babson in
the Championship Game on Sunday at 1pm.
With the loss, Wellesley (9-16) sees its spectacular postseason
run come to an end. The sixth-seeded Blue stunned third-seeded
Springfield College in the Quarterfinals on Wednesday to earn a
spot in the semifinal round.
Hannmann shot 6-of-10, including a 3-for-5 clip from beyond the
arc, to finish with 15 points for WPI. The sophomore guard also
pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.
Junior forward Elle Fontaine (Franklin, MA) added
14 points, five boards, and two blocks in the win, while senior
forward Brittany McNally (Mapleville, R.I.) tossed in nine points.
Junior guard Melissa Kuhn (Stoughton, MA) and
sophomore guard Baillie McNally (Mapleville, RI)
each added three assists for the Engineers, who shot 38.6 percent
(17-44) from the field but made up for it with a stellar 94.1
percent clip (16-for-17) from the free throw line.
Wellesley was paced by first-year forward (Weston, Mass.),
who scored 16 points and hauled in nine rebounds while playing all
40 minutes. Senior guard Katie Martore (Great
Falls, VA) added eight points and four steals, first-year guard
Malia Maier (Torrance, Calif.) chipped in with six
points, seven boards, and four steals, and sophomore center
KD Stearns (Eastis, FA) contributed three points
and six rebounds.
With raucous crowds turning out for both sides at the neutral
site, the first half featured a frenetic pace with the lead
changing hands five times. WPI eventually closed the period with a
brief 6-2 run to take a 29-24 lead into the break. Fontaine led a
balanced Engineer scoring attack with eight points in the opening
session, while Hannmann pulled down seven boards in the first 20
minutes. Maier and senior guard Laura Barrett
(Dobbs Ferry, NY) each led Wellesley with six points at the half.
A three-pointer by Fontaine gave the Engineers a 36-29 lead with
16:23 left in the second half, but Wellesley came storming back
with an 8-0 run to take what would prove to be its only lead of the
second half. Martore sparked the run with a trifecta, Kimball
followed with a conventional three-point play, and sophomore
forward Robyn Burleson (Seattle, WA) drained a
jumper that gave the Blue a 37-36 advantage with 11:49 left to
play.
Following a jumper by Fontaine that moved WPI back in front,
Stearns sank one of two from the line to tie the game at 38-38 with
8:27 remaining. That set up a long-distance show by Hannmann, who
drained three consecutive three-pointers during a personal 9-2 run
that gave the Engineers a 47-40 advantage. Her first trifecta came
from the right corner at the eight-minute mark, the second came
from the left wing at 7:26, and, after Kimball hit a lay-up for
Wellesley, Hannmann's third from beyond the arc came from the right
side as WPI built a seven-point advantage with 6:18 left in the
game.
That burst would prove to be the difference in the game, as the
Engineers' lead never fell below five the rest of the way. Helping
WPI's cause was its brilliant free throw shooting, as the Engineers
knocked down nine of their 10 attempts in the final 3:10 to hold on
for the eventual 56-46 victory.
WPI will now take on top-seeded Babson in Sunday's championship
game. The Beavers will be looking to defend their 2009 NEWMAC crown
against the Engineers, who gave Babson its two closest conference
games of the regular season. The Beavers won the first meeting
between the two squads, 68-58, and then took the second showdown,
59-49. This will be WPI's fifth appearance in the conference finals
and its second of the NEWMAC era.
Release Courtesy Babson Sports Information
