Norton, MA --- The Wethersfield, Connecticut duo of Alice Kelly and Ava Giansiracusa combined for 39 points and the WPI women's basketball team enjoyed a 41-22 advantage on glass as the Engineers capped a four-game regular season-ending winning streak by besting host Wheaton 65-53 Saturday afternoon in Emerson Gym.to secure a spot in next week's NEWMAC Tournament.
The Engineers rallied from a 0-3 start in conference play for the second straight campaign and this season found themselves with a 1-6 mark and in tenth place with just two weeks to go before their late surge earned the Crimson and Gray the seventh seed and a date at second-seeded Babson in a 7pm quarterfinal contest. The Lyons, who would have qualified for the tournament with a triumph of their own, concluded the season at 7-18 overall and 3-8 in NEWMAC action.
WPI struck first as Caitlyn Dasaro (Fairfield, VT) knocked down a jumper, but Wheaton quickly responded with a bucket from Mary McClintock (Essex Junction, VT). The Engineers then went on a 7-2 surge, highlighted by a three-point play from Kelly, to take a 9-4 lead with 5:22 left in the opening quarter. After a three-pointer from the Lyon's Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, CO), WPI answered with a dominant 10-0 run, fueled by four points each from Emmy Allyn (Rutland, MA) and Giansiracusa. The Crimson and Gray closed the first quarter in control, leading 19-9.
The Boynton Hillers started off the second quarter with two quick treys from Kelly and Allyn, but the Lyons battled back with two jumpers from Keyter and McClintock, bringing the score to 25-13 with 8:37 left until halftime. The Lyons saw an 8-3 run to close the deficit to seven, 30-23, with 4:40 left until halftime, with Greta Minos (Boston, MA) knocking in 2-for-2 from behind the arc. For the Engineers, Kelly hit back-to-back layups but Wheaton countered with a 2-for-2 performance at the line from Kiki Walters (Fleetwood, PA) and a last second layup from McClintock, bringing the halftime score to 34-27 with an Engineer advantage.
On the half, WPI is led by Kelly with 10 points and two boards. Allyn contributed nine points, two assists and a steal, and Ava Hyams (Kearny, NJ) added four points and five rebounds. For the Lyons, Keyter tallied nine points and two boards. McClintock, Minos, and Walters each added six points, with Walters seeing 6-for-6 performance at the free throw line, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Both defenses tightened up to start the second half, with six scoreless possessions between the teams before Kelly broke the drought for WPI with a nifty layup. Kelly stayed hot, sinking all four of her next free throw attempts, while Giansiracusa added another layup. However, Minos answered with a three-pointer for the Lyons, cutting the gap to 42-32 with 4:35 remaining in the third. The rest of the quarter saw back-and-forth action, including four points from Megan Stone (Hanson, MA) off a layup and a perfect trip to the free throw line. As the buzzer sounded, the Engineers maintained control with a 50-36 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Keyter got the fourth quarter rolling for the hosts with a basket, followed by a layup from Walters. But WPI quickly responded, as Giansiracusa drilled a three-pointer and Kelly knocked down a jumper, pushing the lead to 53-40 with 5:04 remaining. The rest of the quarter saw a flurry of back-and-forth action. Cheyenne Colbert (Brookline, NH) and Minos each connected from beyond the arc for the Lyons, while Keyter added three more points. On the Engineers' side, Shannon Reno (Millbury, MA) and Giansiracusa chipped in with three points apiece. When the final buzzer sounded, WPI secured a 65-53 victory.
Kelly sparked the Engineers' offense with 22 points and five rebounds. Giansiracusa tallied 17 points and a steal, Allyn contributed 11 points, two assists and two steals, and Stone chipped in with six points and eight rebounds. For the Lyons, Keyter led with 16 points and four boards. Minos added 12 points and three rebounds, while Walters hit 8-for-8 at the line on her way to 10 points. McClintock stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, four assists, three steals and a block.
WPI shot 44.9% (22-of-49) of field goals while limiting Wheaton to 17-of-48 (35.4%) from the court. On the game, the Crimson and Gray held a 26-13 edge in defensive rebounds, as well as an advantage in points in the paint, 30-14.
Recap Written by WPI Sports Information Student Assistant Maya Vartabedian '24 '25
