WORCESTER -- Atiya Watson (Los Angeles, CA) tallied a game-high 15 points to propel third-seeded and host Clark to a 65-53 victory over sixth-seeded WPI in a NEWMAC Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal contest played Wednesday inside the Kneller Center.
 
With the win, Clark improves to 18-8 on the season and advances to the NEWMAC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2017. The Cougars will travel to second-seeded Babson, a 92-68 winner over seventh-seeded Coast Guard, on Friday at a time to be announced. WPI concludes its season with a 15-11 record.
 
Watson did much of her damage from the free-throw line, converting 9-of-12 attempts while adding four rebounds. Cyriah Coleman (Los Angeles, CA) delivered a strong two-way performance with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, while Olivia Shipley (Castleton, VT) added eight points and matched Coleman with seven boards. Additional support came from Emma Drefs (Ridgecrest, CA) with six points and two steals and Kailey Rios (Hesperia, CA), who chipped in five points.
 
The Cougars forced 25 WPI turnovers, turning them into an 18-8 advantage in points off turnovers, while also holding a 12-7 edge in offensive rebounds and a 32-24 margin in points in the paint.
 
WPI was led by Ava Hyams (Kearny, NJ), who paced the Engineers with 13 points while adding four rebounds. Ava Giansiracusa (Wethersfield, CT) contributed 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Allison Fullem (Underhill, VT) delivered an efficient performance with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and three rebounds off the bench. Leila Nielsen (New York, NY) chipped in nine points with five rebounds and three assists, and Kayla Goldrick (Attleboro, MA) added seven points to round out a balanced scoring effort.
 
As a team, the Engineers shot an efficient 45.7 percent from the field and recorded 16 assists on 21 made baskets while matching Clark on the glass with 31 rebounds.
 
Clark controlled much of the early tempo in the quarterfinal, using late first-quarter momentum to build a 15-12 advantage after a Shipley jumper and a Watson fastbreak layup in the closing seconds. The Cougars extended the margin in the second behind transition scoring from Coleman and Rios, while Watson added free throws to push the lead to nine midway through the period. WPI countered with interior finishes from Fullem and Emmy Allyn (Rutland, MA) along with a late three from Goldrick, trimming the deficit before another Watson basket sent Clark into halftime ahead 28-22.
 
The hosts maintained their edge coming out of the break as Shipley and Drefs converted inside to stretch the lead to double digits, though WPI answered behind Hyams and Fullem to stay within reach. A 3-pointer from Giansiracusa kept the Crimson and Gray within seven late in the third, but the Cougars responded with paint baskets from Leilani Benson (Boston, MA) and Mia Mabanag (Danville, CA) to carry a 44-35 lead into the fourth. WPI opened the final frame with free throws from Nielsen and a three-point play by Hyams to close within six, yet Clark answered with timely shooting from Catherine Antwi (Lowell, MA) and steady foul shooting from Watson and Shipley. The Engineers cut the margin to seven on late baskets from Fullem and Giansiracusa, but Clark's defensive pressure and free throws in the closing minutes secured the 65-53 victory.