Brown heats up in Wildcat loss
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Wheelock Senior captain Sarah Brown (Plainville, Conn.) scored a season and game-high 17 points and fellow captain Elise Ordile (Waltham, Mass.) netted a double-double, but Mount Ida proved too much down the stretch as the Wildcats fell to the Mustangs 57-51 at Pine Manor College on Monday night. The win evens the Mustangs’ record to 7-7, while Wheelock continues searching for its first win at 0-9. (Above: Sarah Brown goes in for the score.)
The Mustangs rode the hot hand of Nicole Casimiro, (Lee, NH) who scored 11 of her team-high 16 points in the second half, including a three-pointer that tied the game at 44-44 with 8:01 remaining in regulation. Casimiro followed that up two minutes later with a fast break lay-up off of a Wheelock turnover to put Mount Ida up by a bucket; and the Mustangs went on to score seven unanswered points in the final four minutes of play.
Wheelock climbed to within three on a pair of Kerry Casey (Medford, Mass.) free throws with 3:14 remaining, but that was as close as the Wildcats would get for the remainder of the game.
Wheelock began the night with a 9-0 run, including a pair of triples from Brown as the Wildcat defense held Mount Ida off the scoreboard until the 14:51 mark in the first half. The Mustangs answered with a 10-1 run over the next five minutes to get the score to 13-13 for the first of seven lead changes on the night.
The Wildcats out-rebounded the Mustangs 39-32, thanks in part to a ten rebound night from both Ordile and freshman Keneisha Milton (Boston, Mass.). Wheelock was able to convert 16 offensive boards into 15 second chance points. Mount Ida's bench provided plenty of support for head coach Jack Casey, scoring 21 points on the night.
Jeileen Rivera (Springfield, Mass.) was a star all around for Mount Ida, nabbing seven steals, scoring ten points, and adding six rebounds and four assists.
Wheelock will next play Pine Manor College Thursday night at 7:00, while Mount Ida travels to Albertus Magnus for a 6:00 tip-off Thursday night.
