02/21/2009
Women's Basketball Falls to Wheaton in Regular-Season Finale, 73-61

WORCESTER, MASS. 02/21/09 - The Clark University women's basketball team had its six-game win streak snapped with a 73-61 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) loss to Wheaton College on Senior Day Saturday at the Kneller Athletic Center.

Clark (13-12, 9-4) secured the fifth seed in the upcoming NEWMAC tournament and will travel to fourth-seed Wheaton (15-10, 9-4) for a first-round game on Wednesday (TBA).

Junior Jillian Camilleri (Lancaster, Mass.) led four Clark players in double-figures with 16 points. Playing in their final regular season home game, seniors Sarah Roderigue (Oakland, Me.) and Sara Hagstrom (Yarmouth, Me.) had 15 and 11 points, respectively, while freshman Ivori Aiken (Harlem, N.Y.) contributed with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Wheaton was paced by senior Jennie Pleat (Nashua, N.H.) and junior Jenny Champney (Bedford, Mass.) with 14 points apiece. Senior Krystin Hickey (Manchester, N.H.) added 13 points and senior Bri Smith (Westford, Mass.) finished with 10 points. Junior Andrea Bailey (Needham, Mass.) had eight boards and dished out a game-best eight assists.

The lead swung nine times in a fiercely contested first half, where neither team led by more than five points.

Senior Lauren Gosline's (Peterborough, N.H.) baseline three ignited a 7-1 run by the visitors to go up, 17-12, at the 10:10 mark. But Clark responded with a 10-2 burst of its own sparked by Kate Mininster's (Manchester, England) steal sandwiched by a pair of jumpers from Aiken and freshman Michelle Chambers (Bronx, N.Y.) for a four-point (23-19) advantage with 6:19 remaining.

The lead would change once more, as Wheaton closed the half netting 13 of the final 17 points for a 32-27 halftime edge.

The Lyons connected on five-of-11 shots (45.5%) from beyond the arc in the frame, while Clark hit just one-of-11.

Trailing by six (37-31) in the opening minutes of the second half, Clark regained the lead (38-37) on a basket by Roderigue at 14:54. The Lyons then out-scored the Cougars 8-2 over the next 1:20 to push their advantage back up to, 45-40, but Clark was resilient notching two straight baskets, including a corner trey from Aiken, to tie it up, 45-45.

However, Wheaton used a 12-0 run to grab a 57-45 lead to put the game out of reach. Pleat scored eight points during the offensive attack.

Wheaton shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the floor, and was perfect from the line (5-of-5), while Clark, which held a 38-33 edge on the boards, finished with a 38.3 percent clip (23-of-60) from the field and was 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the stripe.

Clark seniors Nicole LeVecque (Billerica, Mass.), Katie McCloskey (Wilbraham, Mass.), Kate Petty (Worcester, Mass.), Sarah Roderigue, Sara Hagstrom and Genna Farley, a student assistant coach, were honored prior to the game.