WILLIAMSTOWN, MA- Wheaton College women's basketball sophomore Jeana Trimboli (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) matched a 17-year-old school record while amassing a career-best 30 points as the Lyons dropped an 81-78 decision to undefeated Bridgewater State University during the opening round of Sunday's Williams College Winter Classic in Chandler Gymnasium.
Wheaton, which will face Rivier College during tomorrow's consolation game at 1:00 p.m., slips to 3-6, while Bridgewater State improves to a perfect 9-0. The Lyons posted a 62-60 victory over Rivier during the Wheaton Tip-Off Tournament in mid-November.
Trimboli matched Cathy Silva's '94 three-pointer record of seven treys while tying the program's third-highest point total of 30 markers. She shot 10-of-19 from the floor and 7-of-15 from beyond the three-point arc to go alongside five assists. Trimboli is just the seventh Lyon to score at least 30 points.
Freshman Laura Pierce (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy) turned in a season-best 14 points with five assists, while junior Gabbie DePalo (Rumson, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven Regional) neared a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Natasha Colon Ortiz (Holyoke, MA/Holyoke) finished with a game-best 10 boards.
As a team, the Lyons matched a 14-year-old program standard with 13 triples, going 13-of-26 from deep. Wheaton made 43.9 percent of its field goals and was credited with 18 assists on 25 field goals but went 15-of-26 on free throws while committing 22 turnovers. Conversely, the Bears shot 45.5 percent from the floor and 82.4 percent from the charity stripe with 13 giveaways.
Bridgewater State used a balanced scoring attack with three Bears scoring 13 points. Freshman Megan Boutilette (Charlton, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) had 12 points and nine rebounds.
Wheaton was firing on all cylinders in the opening half, shooting 53.6 percent overall and 57.1 percent from beyond the three-point stripe. Trailing 6-5 1:50 in, the Lyons reeled off eight straight points over just 1:05 for a 13-6 edge with 16:48 to go before the break. With the Blue and White leading 16-11, Pierce and sophomore Gabby Barbera (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) drained back-to-back threes to double up the Bears. Bridgewater State got as close as five points four times, including trailing 42-37 at 1:19, before the Lyons took a 46-37 lead into the break.
A Wheaton three at 15:55 of the second half put the Blue and White in front by a 52-44 count, but four different Bears scored during a 9-0 run for a 53-52 edge at 12:48, their first lead since 6-5. The Lyons proceeded to force six ties, including a 65-all knot with 5:31 to play, but didn't regain a lead until Pierce's lay-in at 1:29 made the score 75-74. Bridgewater State then pushed the game out of reach with seven straight points during a 57-second span to go ahead 81-75 with 27 ticks on the clock. Trimboli's three six seconds later provided the game's final margin.