QUINCY, MA -- An undermanned Lynx squad outrebounded the Lions 46-41 but fell at Eastern Nazarene, 59-46, Tuesday night in non-conference women's basketball play.
Lesley's Rachael O'Mara tied for game-high honors with 14 points, while Brianne Caira pulled down a team-best 12 rebounds, swatting six shots in her 40 minutes of play.
O'Mara continued her hot shooting, opening the night with a three-pointer to get the Lynx off to a 3-0 lead. After the Lions took a 10-9 lead, another O'Mara trifecta put Lesley back up 12-10 at the 14:00 mark.
Four straight Eastern Nazarene points on the following two possessions of a see-saw first half put the Lions back on top, but an O'Mara three-point play pulled the Lynx back out to a 15-14 lead. Three minutes later, a three-pointer from Kacie St. Onge on an Emily Fleming feed put Lesley out to its largest lead, 20-16 at the 9:00 mark.
Julienne Atwater anchored a 13-3 run that put the Lions up 29-23, and the teams went scoreless for the final 3:37 of the half, as Lesley went into halftime down 29-23. Atwater scored seven of her nine first half points in the run, and O'Mara kept the Lynx in the game with 13 of her 14 before halftime.
Lesley, while utilized only six players, opened the second with a Caira jumper just four seconds in, and a pair of Kaitlyn Wechsler free throws put the Lynx within three, 32-29, with 15:35 remaining. A Fleming layup made it a one-point game with just over 12:00 remaining, but the guard couldn't convert the three-point play, and that was as close as the Lynx would come.
A late 13-2 run increased the Lions lead to 16, and Eastern Nazarene just 42 percent second half shooting to pull away in a 59-46 victory.
O'Mara turned in her third straight game with two three-point field goals, hitting 60 percent (6-10) of her threes in that span. Caira's six blocks were one short of a season high, giving the center 19 on the season.
For the Lions (1-6), Atwater tied O'Mara for game-high honors with 14 points, while Shardae Brown turned in a double-double with 10 points and led all players with 14 rebounds.
At 0-5, Lesley takes a week off before opening New England Collegiate Conference play on December 7 at Newbury College at 7:00 p.m.