WORCESTER -- Emmy Allyn (Rutland, MA) tallied 10 of her game-best 14 points in the fourth quarter and Ava Hyams (Kearny, NJ) hauled in a career-high 14 rebounds as the WPI women's basketball team opened its 2025-26 home campaign by defeating Connecticut College 61-51 Tuesday evening inside Harrington Auditorium.   
 
With the triumph, WPI sees its record even out at 2-2 while the Camels dip to 1-2 on the young season.
 
Leading 42-40 entering the fourth quarter, the Crimson and Gray registered 15 of the final quarter's first 18 points. The run started as a balanced attack as four different players, including Allyn, collected buckets to start the spurt, but then midway through the fourth quarter, the junior accounted for eight WPI points over the next six possessions, the last of which a layup to give the hosts a comfortable 12-point edge at 59-47 with just 1:48 remaining.   The Engineers shot 57.1% (8-for-14) from the floor in the final frame while holding the Camels to 0-for-4 from downtown over the last 10 minutes and just 2 of-17 (11.8%) for the game.
 
Allyn dodged four trouble to net 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting while Hyams finished just a point short of her second double-double this season.  The junior amassed nine points and 10 of her 14 boards came off the defensive glass.  Ava Giansiracusa (Wethersfield, CT) reached double digits in points with 13, including a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line while Leila Nielsen (New York, NY) aided the defensive efforts with two blocks and Megan Stone (Hanson, MA) corralled seven rebounds.  
 
Connecticut College's Sofia Tavarez (Cortlandt Manor, NY) led all players with 27 points, reaching double figures scoring in both halves.  The rookie connected on 10-of-17 shots from the field and shared game-high honors in steals with three.  Like Hyams, Sydney Marshall (Enfield, CT) was a point shy of a double as the forward totaled nine points and 13 rebounds while Mia Xerras (Charlotte, NC) and Catherine Cole (Lebanon, NH) both totaled seven points.
 
The Engineers raced out to a 7-0 lead over the opening five minutes of the opening quarter, with Giansiracusa bookending the run with a pair of free throws and a conventional 3-point play and a defensive effort that held the Camels to 0-for-6 shooting from the floor and forced five turnovers. The hosts led by three at the end of the first quarter at 13-10 and had increased it to 10 at 29-18 with 3:12 to go before intermission only to see Conn College rattled off the final 10 points of the half, including seven straight by Xerras and a bucket by Tavarez to close the deficit 30-29 at the break.
 
The third quarter was played entirely within a seven-point window with the guests taking its only lead of the night early in the frame and the Engineers breaking a 40-40 deadlock with a pair of Giansiracusa free throws with 23 seconds left to put the Boynton Hillers on top headed to the fourth quarter.
 
WPI is off until a week from tonight when they play the second contest of a four-game homestand, entertaining the University of New England in a 6pm tipoff.  Connecticut College has a busy weekend ahead, participating in the Western New England Tournament.  The Camels open play in the four-team tournament on Friday, facing St. Lawrence at 8pm.