BOSTON, Mass. - The Curry College women's basketball team kept with their winning ways, topping the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards 73-57 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play. The win brings the Colonels to 12-10 on the year with a 9-5 mark in-conference, while Wentworth falls to 3-20 overall with a 1-13 CCC record.
Curry got out early in this one, winning the tip and making the possession count as senior captain Emily Irwin (Billerica, Mass.) started the scoring on the day with an inside layup, assisted by junior guard Sam Bamford (Easton, Mass.). Both teams would miss their next shot, but a three pointer from Erin Morton (Norway, Maine) go Wentworth on the board and gave them their first lead of the day at 3-2. Curry, however, was moving the ball at will on the offensive side and a pair of layups by Irwin and freshman center Peyton Perine (Fairfax, Va.) put the visitors back on top. Though neither defense exerted significant pressure over the first part of the contest, neither offense was able to gain traction, as the first five minutes saw just 15 combined points, after a layup by senior Michelle McClockey (Madison, Conn.) put in her second bucket of her Senior Day to extend a slim Wentworth advantage to three at 9-6. This lead would reach five before Curry's offense took over, quickly retaking the lead thanks to a pair of triples from Bamford and senior Molly Plunkett (Quincy, Mass.). A free throw shot would pull the contest back to a tie, but the Colonels closed the quarter on a 7-3 run to take a four point advantage into the first break.
The second quarter began with a pair of buckets by the Leopard to tie the score at 19, before Plunkett and McCloskey each put in a basket of their own to knot it once more at 21. The tie would hold for a full minute of action thanks to a trio of missed shots, but a long Curry possession with several offensive rebounds sparked the shooters and started a run with a jumper from freshman Amanda Leal (Tyngsboro, Mass.), stretching out a nine point lead before junior Emily Magasic got the Leopards back on the board. Curry, though, would extend their edge to 13 with just one minute remaining in the first half, thanks largely in part to their defensive efforts on the boards, as they surrendered just two offensive boards over the first nine minutes of the second quarter. Silent since a jumper from Ilyssa Creamer (Pittsfield, Mass.), Wentworth missed their final eight shots of the half, allowing the Colonels to bring a 40-25 lead into the intermission.
After outscoring their hosts 21-10 in the second frame, Curry kept their momentum rolling as the second half got underway, using layups by Irwin and Perine and a pair of free throws to break off a 6-0 run to start the frame and extend their lead to 21. A three from Stephanie Mini (Topsfield, Mass.) gave Wentworth their first points of the half, but an Irwin layup followed by a Plunkett triple kept Curry squarely in front. In the midst of Wentworth's Senior Day festivities, it was the Curry freshman holding down the fort, as Perine dominated the paint and Leal controlled the perimeter, notably with a corner triple to put the Colonels up 56-35. Curry's offense would hit a speed bump over the final minutes of the third period, scoring just once over the last 3:25 of the third, but a stout defensive effort retained a 16 point lead as the quarter wound down, heading into the fourth with a score of 60-44.
The Leopards started the final quarter with possession, but soon gave it up on a travelling violation, a bug they struggled to quick through the entirety of the contest. Both teams would suffer through a pair of turnovers to start the frame, before a put-back layup from Creamer got the points rolling. The basket got the hosts back to within 14, but Wentworth failed once more to hold off the Colonel offense and surrendered four more points to Irwin, two from the line and a pair on an inside layup. The Leopards continued to make defensive stops here and there, but Bamford squeezed the remaining life out of their offense, drawing a charge on Creamer and a loose ball foul on Magasic on consecutive possessions. The Colonels remained disciplined in the fourth, committing just two fouls and a pair of turnovers, after the two giveaways early in the frame. Despite a pair of late Leopard buckets to pull once again to 15, Curry methodically kept the clock ticking and walked away with a hard fought 73-57 victory.
Despite putting up very similar metrics across the board in total rebounds (CC 36, WIT 37), offensive rebounds (CC 11, WIT 12), shooting percentage (CC 44%, WIT 41%), and assists (CC18, WIT 17), Curry made more threes (8-5) and committed less turnovers (15-20) to come out on the winning end. Leading the charge for the Colonels was Irwin, registering team highs with seven assists, seven rebounds, and 21 points, while three other Colonels posted double digit points in Plunkett (18), Perine (12), and Leal (10). McCloskey and Morten put up 12 points each for Wentworth, while McCloskey led the team with seven rebounds of her own. Senior Francesca Matira (Ledyard, Conn.) dished out six helpers.
Curry will play next on Monday, February 11 at 6:00 p.m. on the road against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in their final non-conference game of the season. Wentworth picks up again on Wednesday, February 13 at 5:30 p.m. at home against the University of New England (UNE) as they continue their CCC schedule in a rematch of a December 4 match up which saw the Nor'easters top the Leopards 94-38.
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