Second half propels Mitchell past Wheelock

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women’s basketball team used a strong second half to notch its third straight victory, 66-50, over Wheelock College on Saturday afternoon at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Mitchell outscored Wheelock 34-22 in the second half. Sophomore Destiney Harris (Bristol, Conn.) led all scorers with 15 points and added 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Senior Jennifer Iglesias (Waterbury, Conn.) and freshman Kaylee Cerruto (Torrington, Conn.) also finished in double figures for the Mariners (6-8 overall, 6-2 NECC) with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Sarah Brown (Plainville, Conn.) and Joy Holliday (Milford, Mass.) each scored 11 points to lead Wheelock (3-13 overall, 2-5 NECC). Brown also led the team with eight rebounds and four assists while Holliday added three boards and three steals.

Both teams got off to slow starts, and after the first six minutes the score was knotted at 8-8. The Mariners went ahead on a jumper by Alix O’Neil (New London, Conn.) and would never trail again in the contest, though the Wildcats kept it close throughout.

Mitchell scored 11 straight points over a 3:30 stretch to open up its biggest lead of the half at 28-16 with 5:12 to play. Five different players scored during the run as the Mariners looked primed to take a double-digit lead into the locker room at the intermission. The Wildcats, however, answered by scoring 12 of the next 14 points to trim the deficit to two with under a minute to play. Sharrell Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y.) provided a spark off the bench for Wheelock, scoring all four of her points during the run.

A pair of free throws by O’Neil closed the first half scoring as Mitchell held a 32-28 edge at the break. The Mariners shot 40 percent in the stanza but turned the ball over 13 times. Wheelock shot 38 percent from the floor but went only 8-of-15 from the charity stripe.
Mitchell’s defense didn’t allow a point for the first five minutes of the second half. The Mariners built a nine-point lead before Keneisha Milton (Boston, Mass.) finally put points on the board for the Wildcats with a pair of free throws. Following a Mitchell turnover, Holliday then drained a three to pull Wheelock to within four at 37-33 with 14:29 to go.

Leading by four, Mitchell reeled off a 12-2 run to push the lead to double figures at 51-37 with 8:22 remaining. Cerruto made a pair of three-pointers and totaled eight points during the stretch. Wheelock would only get as close as nine the rest of the way as Mitchell kept up the defensive pressure.

The Mariners shot 37 percent for the game and held a 51-30 edge on the glass, including a 26-11 advantage in offensive rebounds. The Wildcats shot 35 percent from the field and committed 24 turnovers.

Iglesias netted 11 of her 13 points in the second half and tacked on four rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Bianca Young (Bridgeport, Conn.) finished one point shy of a double-double with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds

Mitchell will next play at Lesley University on Tuesday, February 2 at 7 p.m. Wheelock will next host Bay Path College on Tuesday at 5 p.m.