WORCESTER -- Megan Stone (Hanson, MA) paced WPI with 12 points to go along with five rebounds, but it was not enough as the Engineers fell toc cross-town foe Clark 67-53 on Wednesday evening on Hurst Courts inside Kneller Athletic Center. 

Clark improves to 11-9 overall and 3-3 in NEWMAC action while WPI falls to 8-12 on the season and 1-5 in conference play.  

Olivia Shipley (Castleton, VT) got Clark on the board first with a layup, but WPI quickly evened things up at 2-2 with free throws from Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, CT) and Megan Stone (Hanson, MA). Stone then found her rhythm, scoring five straight points before adding another layup following a Kelly bucket. Clark responded as Alaina Schatzabel (Kennebunk, ME) knocked down two layups, and Ava Giansiracusa (Wethersfield, CT) added another for the visitors, but WPI still held a 12-6 advantage with 1:22 left in the first quarter. 

The final minute was a scoring frenzy, led by Cyriah Coleman (Los Angeles, CA), who exploded for ten points, including a three-point play and a perfect 3-for-3 trip at the line for the hosts. Coleman capped off her run with a buzzer-beating jumper, giving Clark its first lead of the night at 16-15 heading into the second quarter. 

Clark opened the second quarter with an 11-0 run, seizing control as Schatzabel led the charge with six points. WPI fought back midway through the quarter, with Delaney MacPhetres (Amherst, MA) converting back-to-back layups to trim the deficit to six at 27-21. However, the Cougars maintained their momentum, widening the gap once more and heading into halftime with a 31-23 advantage. 

Coleman dominated with 16 points in the first half for the Cougars and Schatzabel added 10 points. Stone added an early seven points for the Engineers, with Kelly and Giansiracusa each contributing five points. 

The third quarter featured intense back-and-forth play, but Clark managed to keep their lead. WPI cut the deficit to five, 33-28, after a three-pointer from Alyssa Cueto (Union City, NJ). However, the Cougars answered with a 9-2 run, including a three-point play from Schatzabel, extending their lead. Clark ended the quarter with a comfortable 47-34 advantage. 

The fourth quarter kicked off with a three-pointer from Catherine Antwi (Lowell, MA) for the hosts, but both teams went cold for the next two and a half minutes. Paige Davenport (Albany, NY) finally ended the drought with a shot from beyond the arc for the visitors, pushing the score to 50-37. Clark responded with a 10-5 scoring run, fueled by two three-pointers from Kailey Rios (Hesperia, CA) and a three-point play from Stone for the Engineers, which extended Clark's lead to 60-42. Clark maintained their advantage for the rest of the game, ultimately securing a 67-53 victory. 

For the Engineers, 11 total players scored baskets on the evening. Stone led the team with 12 points, five boards and one steal. Kelly added seven points, seven boards and two blocks. For the Cougars, Coleman and Schatzabel each notched an outstanding 19 points, with Coleman having three assists and Schatzabel corralling eight boards. Antwi stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, six boards, three assists, and three steals.

WPI was held to 36.7% (22-of-60) on the evening and Clark shot 24-of-55 (43.6%). The Engineers held the advantage in bench points, 24-4, and the Cougars scored the only four fastbreak points.

Both teams are back in action on Saturday for another NEWMAC matchup. WPI welcomes Springfield for a 2pm meeting, while Clark hosts Smith at 1pm. 

Recap written by WPI Sports Information Student Assistant Maya Vartabedian '24 '25