Wellesley, MA --- WPI scored the first 14 points of the game and never trailed Wednesday evening, securing a spot in next week's NEWMAC Women's Basketball Tournament with a 58-49 road victory over Wellesley inside Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse.
 
Following the result, WPI improves to 14-9 overall and 5-5 in conference play, while Wellesley drops to 9-14 on the season with a 3-7 mark in NEWMAC action.
 
With one game remaining, the Crimson and Gray sit alone in sixth place in the 12-team conference and appear locked into the No. 6 seed after defeating the two teams directly behind them in the standings while falling to the team immediately ahead. The Blue must win Saturday and receive help elsewhere to qualify for the eight-team tournament, which begins a week from tonight.
 
Ava Giansiracusa (Wethersfield, CT) led the Engineers with 13 points, while Ava Hyams (Kearny, NJ) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds — her fourth of the season and career. Emmy Allyn (Rutland, MA) added 10 points and four assists, and Leila Nielsen (Hingham, MA) chipped in nine points and seven boards. Megan Stone (Hanson, MA) contributed seven points and a pair of steals, while Kayla Goldrick (North Reading, MA) added five points on perfect shooting off the bench as WPI featured balanced production in the win.
 
Ava Shane (Plano, TX) paced Wellesley with a game-high 21 points, while Trinity Barrow (Atlanta, GA) and Stacy Chen (Minneapolis, MN) each contributed eight. Tanvi Agarwal (Woodinville, WA) added four points as the Blue attempted to rally after the early deficit.
 
WPI seized control early by asserting itself over each team's first nine possessions. The Engineers went 5-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while the Blue missed their first seven attempts and committed three turnovers. Allyn drained both of her 3-point tries, and Giansiracusa added five points as the Crimson and Gray shot 70 percent in the opening quarter to build a 20-5 advantage after 10 minutes.
 
Wellesley tried to claw back into the contest in the second quarter, but WPI answered each push to maintain control. Nielsen buried a 3-pointer and Hyams finished inside off an assist from Allyn to steady the Engineers, while baskets from Goldrick and Delaney MacPhetres (Pelham, MA) maintained the double-digit margin. A late Nielsen triple, assisted by Giansiracusa, stretched the advantage before free throws from Shane and Chen cut the deficit to 34-18 at halftime.
 
WPI continued to dictate the pace in the third quarter, building its largest lead of the night at 40-20 following a layup and steal from Allyn. Wellesley answered with baskets from Shane and Agarwal, but timely interior play from Hyams helped the Engineers maintain a comfortable 43-27 advantage heading into the fourth.
 
Wellesley mounted its strongest push in the final period, scoring 22 points but only trimming the deficit to single digits following the visitors' opening 14-0 run. A Hailey Moy (San Franscico, CA) free throw provided the game's final margin of 58-49.
 
WPI wraps up the regular season Saturday, hosting Clark for Senior Day at Harrington Auditorium with a 3pm tip, while Wellesley remains home to face Salve Regina at 1pm.