Lewiston, ME --- Victoria Mirecki (Washingtonville, NY) converted a conventional 3-point play with just 1.9 seconds remaining to deliver WPI a thrilling 56-54 road victory against Bates in a non-conference women's basketball contest played on Sunday afternoon.
It was the second consecutive thrilling two-point victory for the Engineers over the defending NESCAC champions as the Crimson and Gray upended the Bobcats 46-44 last December in the WPI Holiday Classic in Harrington Auditorium. WPI is now 4-1 this season, its eighth straight campaign with a 4-1 or 5-0 start under 23rd year coach Cherise Galasso. Bates dips to 2-2 with its other setback to No. 11 Tufts.
Mirecki had a flair for the dramatics twice on Sunday as her jumper to beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter highlighted a 18-8 stanza for the Engineers and put the guests ahead 44-42 headed to the fourth quarter. The Bobcats used a 9-1 spurt to seize a 53-47 advantage with 4:14 remaining but would only muster one point the rest of the way.
McKenna Finken (Simsbury, CT) then took centerstage for the Engineers, notching back-to-back layups to get the Crimson and Gray within one at 54-53 and then drew a charge with 1:03 to go. After both teams missed shots on their next possessions, WPI called timeout to advance the ball to the front court and drew up a play that got Mirecki a hoop and some harm with just 1.6 seconds left. Bates then used to timeout to advance but its pass was deflected into the waiting hands of Finken as time expired.
Mirecki led the Engineers off the bench with a season-high 15 points, just two shy of her career-best of 17 her sophomore year against Nichols in November of 2019.
Early on it was Melanie Presseau (Manchester, NH) and Adrianna Niles (Tewksbury, MA) that kept the Engineers in the game, as they two went 5-for-5 in the opening quarter as the rest of the team was just 2-of-13 in the first 10 minutes. All nine of Presseau's nine points came on first quarter three-pointers. Finken, Lisa Cristiano (Valhalla, NY) and Alex Scariati (Scotch Plains, NJ) all tallied seven points while Scariati handed out a game-best five assists and shared team-high rebounding (7) honors with Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, CT), who blocked the shot on the possession that proceeded Mirecki's game-winning 3-point play.
Preseason first team All-America Meghan Graff (South Portland, ME) was outstanding for the hosts, registering 28 points, including draining 4-of-5 trifectas. Elsa Daulerio (Harpswell, ME) was a force in the paint, blocking four shots and gobbling up 10 rebounds.
WPI concludes its brief two-game road trip on Wednesday, venturing up to northern Worcester County for a 6pm date with Fitchburg State. Bates turns its attention to a Tuesday home match-up with in-state foe Husson. Tipoff inside historic Alumni Gym is slated for 7pm.