Hartford, Conn. - Senior center Eileen Gaffney (Manhasset, N.Y.) had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead the visiting Wesleyan University Cardinals to a 54-46 win over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball action this afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium.  Trinity drops to 5-6 overall and 0-2 in NESCAC play with its second league loss in as many days, while the Cardinals improve to 8-3 overall and 1-1 in the league.

Trinity led, 14-8, after one of three treys by sophomore guard Abby Hancock (Casco, Maine) midway through the fist half, but Wesleyan rattled off the game's next 14 points to lead, 22-14, after a layup by junior center Kendra Harris (St. Paul, Minn.) with under four minutes on the clock.  Trinity scored the final six points before the break, as junior guard Carly Napier (Pittsford, N.Y.) drilled a three-pointer in the final minute to make the score, 24-22.

The second half mirrored the first with Trinity going ahead, 36-30, at the 13:50 mark on another long ball by Hancock before the Cardinals answered with 10 straight points to go ahead, 40-36, on a pair of free throws by senior forward Sam LaCroce (Prospect, Conn.) with 7:23 left in the contest.  Bantam junior forward Heather Lyhne (Wethersfield, Conn.) scored on a put-back to pull the home team back within two, but Wesleyan used a 7-3 run to extend its lead to 49-42 in the final two minutes and made five out of six shots frm the foul line to ice the game.

Senior co-captain guard Kaitlin Ciarleglio (Waterbury, Conn.) paced Trinity with 13 points and blocked a shot, while Napier added 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and sophomore forward Taylor Murtaugh (Bronx, N.Y.) grabbed eight boards.  Senior forward Emily Lippe (Los Altos, Calif.) contributed five points, six rebounds, and five steals to the Wesleyan effort.