Wenham, Mass. - Sophomore guard Bailey Hyland (Broad Brook, Conn.) scored a career-high 25 points and added eight rebounds and six steals to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 68-56 victory over the New England College Pilgrims in the opening game of the Gordon College Women's Basketball Classic at Bennett Center this evening.  Trinity improves to 4-1 with its fourth win in a row, handing the Pilgrims their first loss in their four games this season.  The Bantams will face the host Gordon Fighting Scots tomorrow at 3 p.m. 

Hyland scored the first six points of the game, as the Bantams led wire to wire.  Two free throws by Trinity sophomore center Elizabeth Althoff (Staten Island, N.Y.) pushed Trinity's lead to double digits at 22-12 with 7:45 left in the second quarter, and a layup by rookie guard Madison Stevens (Burlington, Conn.) in the final seconds gave the Bantams a 38-19 advantage at halftime.

New England College cut its deficit to 11 points at 48-37 on a free throw by Brianna Pierreval at the close of the third quarter, and Ericka Pratt scored a Pilgrim layup make the score, 53-49, with 3:30 left to play.  Trinity scored the game's next eight points, beginning with a layup by sophomore forward Katie Kirsch (Pelham, N.H.), to go ahead, 61-49, and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Hyland made five of her nine shots from the field, one of two three-point attempts, and went to the foul line 19 times wth 14 makes.  Trinity first-year guard Bria Fuller (Springdale, Md.) added 17 points and Kirsch contributed 10 points and 10 boards.  Trinity forced 23 turnovers and outrebounded the Pilgrims, 41-36.  Hudson made five three-pointers and paced New England College with 17 points, while Daleia Boutwell had 14 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort.