NEWPORT, R.I.—Senior
Katelyn Mollica (Foxborough, Mass.) scored 22 points and hit two of her six three-pointers during a key stretch in the fourth quarter to help visiting Babson College defeat Salve Regina University, 87-75, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon inside the Rodgers Recreation Center.
Babson, which snapped a two-game skid, improves to 9-8 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Salve Regina had its three-game winning streak snapped to drop to 9-7 overall and 2-1 in the NEWMAC.
Mollica matched her career high with six three-pointers and was 8-of-15 from the field on the day, while senior
Emily Flynn (Hanover, Mass.) posted her sixth double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three blocks and two steals for the Beavers. Junior
Allessia Carlo (Carmel, N.Y.) contributed 13 points, sophomore
Samantha Reale (North Attleboro, Mass.) added 10 points and first-year
Madison Hart (Greenwich, Conn.) chipped in with a career-high nine points in the victory.
Graduate student Briana Neary (Wayne, N.J.) scored 38 points on 11-of-17 shooting and went 16-of-16 at the free throw line to lead three players in double figures for the Seahawks. Junior Sofia Neary (Wayne, N.J.) registered a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to go along with a game-high seven steals and graduate student Amanda Folan (North Attleboro, Mass.) added 12 points despite shooting just 3-of-13 in the loss.
Flynn and Mollica combined for six three-pointers and 20 points as the Green and White 61.5 percent on the way to building a 24-7 first-quarter lead. Salve Regina cut its deficit to 12 less than two minutes into the second on a three-point play by Briana Neary but Reale and junior
Chloe Perreault (Danbury, Conn.) scored Babson's next eight points and Carlo followed with a driving layup to make it 35-16 with 6:00 to go before halftime.
Carlo converted a three-point play with 4:28 left in the stanza and first-year
Alessa Mendoza (Yonkers, N.Y.) followed up a three-pointer by Hart with a jumper to give the Beavers' their largest lead of the afternoon at 43-20 with 3:15 remaining in the second period.
The Seahawks cut their 20-point deficit down to eight thanks to nine straight points by Briana Neary with 4:23 to play in the third quarter, but Babson scored on seven of its final 11 possessions in the frame and used a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Hart to regain a 68-54 edge going to the fourth. Folan started the final stanza with a three-pointer and Briana Neary scored Salve Regina's next 10 points to get as closes as 72-67 with 7:07 left.
Mollica knocked down a three-pointer following a timeout and hit another two possessions later to put the Beavers back in front 78-67 with 6:12 to go. Briana Neary closed the gap to seven with 3:40 to go but the hosts would get no closer as first-year
Julia St. Laurent (Greenland, N.H.) scored in the paint and senior
Kiara Simone Davis (Coral Springs, Fla.) and Carlo combined to make three free throws for an 85-73 edge with less than a minute to play.
Babson shot 52.5 percent from the floor and 51.7 percent from long distance while connecting on 14 three-pointers. The Beavers also finished wit a 40-34 edge on the glass. The Seahawks shot just 33.3 percent for the game but outscored the Green and White 28-11 at the free throw line and turned 19 turnovers into 21 points.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday. as Babson hosts Coast Guard at 7 p.m., while Salve Regina faces Emerson at 7:30 p.m.
GAME NOTES
• Babson is now 14-5 all-time against Salve Regina and Saturday's game was its first in Newport since 2002.
• With six triples on Saturday, Mollica is now just four away from matching Erin Young's '15 program record of 190 three-pointers.
• The Beavers are now 5-0 this season when shooting better than 40 percent.
• Flynn has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games, while Reale has finished with two or more steals in 12 of 17 contests this winter.
