Women’s Hoop Falls to Connecticut College

FRANKLIN, Mass. – Regis College took the early lead, but struggled in the second and third quarters as Connecticut College came from behind for a 77-58 victory Saturday afternoon in the first round of the Dean Bulldog Tip-Off Tournament at Pieri Gymnasium.

Arie Searcy (Santa Rosa, Calif.) led the Pride in scoring with 17 points, while Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) shot 5-of-7 from the field to finish with 10 points along with six rebounds and two blocked shots. Making the first start of her career, Mackenzie Emery (Standish, Maine) collected nine points and seven assists, and fellow freshman Pam Gonzalez (Revere, Mass.) added nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot.

Connecticut College (1-0) took a 9-3 lead after the first three minutes of the game, but Regis quickly responded, scoring 12 straight points, capped by a three-pointer from Emery. After a three-pointer by the Camels' Casey Walsh, the Pride scored the final three points of the first quarter to open a 21-14 lead heading into the second period.

After a layup by Veasey to open the scoring in the second quarter, the Camels put together a 13-4 scoring run, punctuated by another three-pointer from Walsh, to tie the game at 27-27. Regis retook the lead on baskets by Emery and Veasey, but Connecticut College closed out the period with a 10-2 scoring run, starting with two three-pointers by Audrey Shaev, to go into halftime with a 37-33 advantage.

Emery fed Searcy for a layup to open the third quarter, but the Camels went on a 10-1 scoring run, led by Claire Gulbin with a jumper and a three-pointer, to extend their lead to 47-36. After consecutive layups by Gonzalez and Searcy, Connecticut College scored nine unanswered points, capped by another three-pointer from Shaev.

The Camels put the game away with 11 straight points spanning the end of the third quarter and the first two minutes of the fourth period. The Pride scored 10 straight points to cut their deficit to 69-54 midway through the period, but Regis would not get any closer the rest of the way.

Sami Ashton led the Camels with 23 points, while Walsh finished with 14 points and four assists and Shaev added 12 points on four three-pointers. As a team, Connecticut College shot 49.2 percent (29-of-59) from the field, including 12-of-28 from behind the three-point line, and 77.8 percent (7-of-9) from the free throw line.

The Pride shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57) from the field, but just 3-of-15 from behind the three-point line and 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from the free throw line. Regis committed 19 turnovers, leading to 17 Camel points, and scored only eight second chance points despite pulling down 14 offensive rebounds.

Regis (0-4) will face Clark University in the consolation game of the Dean Bulldog Tip-Off Tournament Sunday, Nov. 17, starting at 12 p.m. The Cougars lost to the host Bulldogs earlier Saturday, 75-66.