Lyons push their record to 6-6 overall, 3-3 NEWMAC with the win

NORTON, Mass. – Ahead 41-40 with 1:41 left to play, the Wheaton College women's basketball team went 4-for-6 from the free throw line to earn a 45-40 victory over Springfield College in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Tuesday night at Emerson Gymnasium.

Sophomore forward Abbie Brickley (Sandy, Utah/Skyline) compiled a game-high 12 points to go along with seven rebounds, one steal and one assist. Freshman forward Kiley Shoemaker (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) notched nine points and ten rebounds while freshman guard Rebecca Arnone (Litchfield, N.H./Campbell) tallied eight points, two rebounds and two steals.

Freshman guard Heather Lewis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) led the Pride offensively with eight points, three caroms and one assist. Senior forward Emily Walker (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds and also had six points, two blocks, one assist and one steal.

Down 35-31 at the 10:07 mark of the second half, Springfield cut its deficit to 36-35 on a layup from sophomore forward Jaimie Bickelhaupt (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield) at 8:57 and a jump shot by sophomore guard Riley Fake (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) at the 7:12 mark. Bickelhaupt ended the contest with four points while Fake had five on the night.

Wheaton answered with a 5-0 run over the next two minutes and three-seconds of action to stretch its advantage to 41-35. Senior guard Meghan Biondolillo (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) responded with a three-pointer from the right wing at 3:44 and a pair of made free throws at 1:41 to trim down the Lyons gap to one-point for the second time late in the half.

Junior guard Melissa McLaughlin (Spindale, N.C./R-S Central) went 3-for-4 at the line and junior forward Lauren McClelland (Scituate, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) canned 1-of-2 free throws down the stretch to close out the game.

Biondolillo missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer from the right wing with 15-seconds left to play before McLaughlin made it a two-possession contest at the free throw line (44-40).

The Lyons held a 22-21 advantage at halftime as Brickley led the hosts with six points and five rebounds. Lewis had a team-high eight points on 4-of-7 shooting to lead the Pride in the first stanza.

Wheaton shot 32.7-percent from the field (16-for-49), 26.7-percent from beyond the arc (4-for-15) and 75.0-percent at the free throw line (9-for-12). Springfield connected on 32.7-percent of its shots (17-for-52), 22.2-percent from long distance (4-for-10) and 40.0-percent at the line (4-for-10). The Pride outrebounded the Lyons, 40-34, and held a 14-10 differential in points off of turnovers. Wheaton posted a 22-18 margin in points in the paint and claimed the largest lead of the game, 29-21, at the 17:59 mark of the second half.

Wheaton (6-6, 3-3 NEWMAC) welcomes Wellesley to Emerson Gymnasium on Thursday, January 10 for a NEWMAC clash at 7 p.m. Springfield (2-10, 0-6 NEWMAC) travels to Coast Guard on Thursday for a conference matchup scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m.