BOSTON, MA - The Wheelock College women's basketball team trailed by only five points at halftime against Pilgrim Road neighbor Simmons College on Monday before falling to the Sharks, 67-41, at the Holmes Sports Center. The Wildcats remained winless through three games, while Simmons, which played the visiting team in its own gym, moved to 4-0.

Freshman Randi Davis (Wilmington, MA/Wilmington) posted season highs of 11 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench for Wheelock, which shot 39.3 percent in the opening half to the Sharks' 22.5-percent showing. Junior Maya Spratling (Dorchester, MA/Cathedral) added six points, seven boards and three steals, sophomore Kailah Simon (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) notched six points, and classmate Keneisha Milton (Boston, MA/Wayland) had eight caroms, including six offensive, and four takeaways.

Junior Kayla Drescher (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) chipped in with six rebounds for Wheelock, which cut its margin of defeat nearly in half from last year's meeting and played without senior Joy Holliday (Milford, MA/Milford), the squad's leading scorer at 11.0 points per game.

Simmons sophomore Emily Thomas (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) led all scorers with 15 points in addition to snaring seven rebounds, while classmate Liz O'Connor (Milton, MA/Milton) notched 14 points and three blocks. Junior Jessica Thomas (East Sandwich, MA/Sandwich) had 12 points, and classmate Alexandrah Acloque (Canton, MA/Blue Hills Regional Technical School) finished with eight points, 13 boards and five steals.

Three straight Simmons free throws were met by another Simon jumper that kept the Wildcats within 15-8 with 8:45 remaining. Jessica Thomas knocked down a three at 8:25, ending a 7:37 stretch during which Wheelock went on an 8-4 run, forced seven turnovers and held the Sharks to only four free throws and 0-for-10 shooting from the field.

After Simmons went back up by 12, a 7-0 stretch during 1:34 brought the hosts within 20-15, as senior Caitlin Kerr (Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) capped the run with a three-pointer at 6:06. A Spratling hoop at 1:42 and a Davis long-range shot with 41 ticks left made it 30-25 at the half.

However, the Sharks netted the first nine points of the second stanza, grabbing a 39-25 advantage on an Acloque lay-in at 18:15, and never again led by fewer than a dozen points. Simmons shot 46.2 percent during the period, overcoming a 23-21 Wheelock advantage on the boards.

The Wildcats break until next Thursday, Dec. 2, when they travel to the University of Massachusetts at Boston for a 5:30 p.m. contest.