WORCESTER – Senior Alyssa Paul (Schaghticoke, NY) and freshmen Melanie Presseau (Manchester, NH) and Alex Scariati (Scotch Plains, NJ) all canned a trio of 3-pointers as WPI defeated visiting Wheaton, 71-56, in a NEWMAC women's basketball matchup Wednesday evening in Harrington Auditorium. In all, WPI totaled at least 10 triples for the third time in as many games.

All ticket sales from the game will be donated to Play4Kay. You can also donate to the WPI Women's Basketball fundraising page for Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

The Engineers up their record to 9-12 on the season and 4-9 in league action while the Lyons move to 9-13 and 4-10.

Paul shared game-high honors with 14 points while Scariati added 13 and sophomore Sara Lyons (Pittsford, NY) pitched in with 10. Presseau finished with nine points while sophomore Caitlin Boermeester (Billerica, MA) handed out six assists. Junior Spencer Vinson (Los Angeles, CA) scored eight and hauled in a game-best 11 rebounds. Freshman Bailey Savage (Charlton, MA), the reigning WACBA Rookie of the Week, amassed eight points and five rebounds in the effort.

Junior Sara McLeman (Auburn, NH) netted 14 points and registered five rebounds and sophomore Mikayla Pucci (Hopkinton, MA) followed with 13 points for Wheaton. Senior Abby Hamilton (Gorham, ME) doled out six helpers and freshman Sadie Shore (Portsmouth, NH) also collected five rebounds for the guests.

After WPI claimed its first six-point advantage of the initial frame, Pucci went on a personal 5-0 run to get Wheaton within one. The Engineers pushed the lead back to six two more times in the first 10 minutes. Pucci broke the ice in the second only to see Paul and Presseau hit back-to-back threes for the 10-point cushion with 8:20 until the half. Wheaton was able to get within seven following a three by Hamilton before the Engineers built a 17-point margin with 2:21 until the break.

The margin was between 15 and 20 following the break. McLeman cut the deficit to 17 to close out the third while juniors Ashley Hill (Pembroke, NH) and Natalie Wind (New Canaan, CT) used consecutive 3-pointers to pull within 11 early in the fourth. The Engineers later went up by 19 before the teams settled on 15 following a layup in the waning moments by Wheaton freshman Mia Len (Amherst, NH).

Wheaton had a slight edge in the paint (26-24) while WPI scored 20 points off turnovers and the Engineer reserves notched 33 points.

WPI heads to Mount Holyoke for a 2pm NEWMAC contest on Saturday while Wheaton hosts Fisher tomorrow night at 7pm.

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