Jan. 9, 2008

Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. - The Babson College women's basketball team opened its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) schedule with a 66-52 victory at Clark University in the first conference game for either team on Wednesday night at the Kneller Athletic Center.

With its third win in the last four games, Babson improved to 4-7 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Clark fell to 4-7 overall and 0-1 in NEWMAC play.

Senior Linsey Poulson (Leominster, Mass.) led all scorers with 19 points and eight rebounds for the Beavers, senior Caitlin Fenn (Niantic, Conn.) added 14 points and three steals, and senior co-captain Nicole McManus (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) contributed six points, eight boards, and two blocked shots. First-year Rebecca Bowman (Melrose, Mass.) chipped in with nine points, while she joined junior Becky Pelletier (Harwinton, Conn.) with a team-high four assists apiece.

Jillian Camilleri (Lancaster, Mass.) scored 16 points to lead the Cougar offense. Sarah Roderigue (Oaklane, Me.) and Jess Lamothe (Westboro, Mass.) put up 13 points with seven boards and 12 points with four rebounds, respectively.

The two teams battled evenly over the first seven minutes. Babson slowly pulled away, however, as they gained a six-point advantage (17-11) with a jumper from Fenn. A free throw by Poulson gave the Beavers an 18-11 lead, the largest in the half for either team.

Lamothe brought Clark back with six straight points to cut the lead to 20-17. A lay-up by Pelletier gave Babson a five point edge (22-17), but Lamothe followed Roderigue's lay-up with a steal and bucket of her own to pull within one (22-21). The Beavers would eventually take that one-point lead into the break thanks to nine first-half points from Fenn and seven more from Poulson.

Babson made an early surge in the second period when Fenn drilled a three from the corner to go up 33-27. That shot ignited a 14-2 Beaver run that stretched the lead to 44-29, the largest spread in the game. Clark pulled to within seven (56-49) with a free throw from Roderigue, but Bowman answered with a trey to regain a double-digit lead with just over two minutes to play to seal the victory.

Babson shot 60.9% from the floor in the second half to Clark's 37%. The Beavers held a slim 40-37 advantage in rebounds, but the Cougars snatched up 13 offensive boards to Babson's six.

Clark next hosts Mount Holyoke College on Saturday (1 pm) while Babson travels to Wheaton College the same day (3 pm).

NOTE: Taken from a Clark University press release.