WORCESTER -- Bates shot 53.8% from the field in the first quarter of an otherwise defensive-minded opening half and Sarah Hughes (Rumson, NJ) accounted for the Bobcats final 13 points of the afternoon as visitors defeated host WPI 62-50 in a rare Thursday non-conference women's basketball matinee inside Harrington Auditorium.
With the result, the Bobcats are now 7-2 overall while the Engineers see their record even out at 4-4 on the season.
The visitors drained six of its first seven shots from the floor, including its first five attempts, on the Bobcats way to opening up a 13-5 advantage just over five minutes into the opening quarter. At that point, the WPI defense stiffened, limiting Bates to just 3-of-21 shooting the rest of the half. The Bobcat defense was strong throughout the first 20 minutes, holding the Engineers to just 21.4% shooting in the first half and behind a combined 12 points by Elsa Daulerio (Harpswell, ME) and Alexandra Long (Newtown, MA), helped the guests take a 23-13 lead into the locker room at the break.
Bates used an 8-2 spurt midway through the third quarter, highlighted by a pair of Lily Brown (Dallas, TX) baskets in a 12 second span, to push the lead to as 14 points at 34-20 but Allison Fullem (Underhill, VT) and Caitlyn Dasaro (Fairfield, VT) helped the Crimson and Gray claw back to within eight in the waning second of the stanza only to see Sophie Spolter (Blacklick, OH) beat the third quarter buzzer to send the Bobcats to the final quarter ahead 42-32.
The fourth quarter was played within a seven-point window. A Dasaro jumper with 6:00 remaining cut the WPI deficit to seven at 47-40 but Bates turned to Hughes down the stretch and the sophomore delivered, registering the Bobcats' last 13 points of the game. The Engineers final charge brought them to within six at 56-50 with 1:02 remaining but Hughes calmly drained all six of her free throw attempts in the final 53 seconds to secure the victory.
Hughes, who only had three points over the opening three quarters, led all players with 16 points, while Daulerio narrowly missed a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Lily Lambo (Watertown, MA) came off the bench to toss in nine points, all off of 3-pointers, and Spolter finished with eight points and five boards.
Dasaro paced WPI with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor. Ava Giansiracusa (Wethersfield, CT) and Fullem both tallied 10 points while Emmy Allyn (Rutland, MA) netted eight points despite being saddled by foul trouble. Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, CT) corralled a season-high 10 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes for the Engineers.
WPI is off until after the Christmas holiday, participating in the Sandy DeWolf McCormack Memorial Holiday Tournament hosted by Nazareth in Rochester, NY. The Engineers begin play in the two-day tournament versus Hartford at 6pm on Sunday, December 29th. The four-team tournament also features Elms and the host Golden Flyers. Bates returns to the court this Saturday, venturing to Orono, Maine to face the Division I Black Bears at 2pm.
