Wechsler Powers Lesley University Past Women’s Basketball, 63-53

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Elms College junior forward Erika Murphy (Torrington, Conn.) netted a team-high 19 points but Lesley University's Kaitlyn Wechsler (Merrick, N.Y.) poured in a game-high 26 points to help pace the Lynx to a 63-53 win over the Blazers in Saturday's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's basketball game in Cambridge, Mass.

With the loss, Elms falls to 6-12 overall, 4-5 in NECC action, while Lesley improves to 10-7 on the season and remains undefeated at 9-0 in league play.

Lesley took a 16-point, 37-21 lead into the half on the strength of 39.4-percent shooting and held Elms to just four field goals and 17.4-percent from the floor before scoring 11 of first 13 points of the second period to establish a commanding 48-23 advantage with 16:47 to play in the game.

Elms chipped away at Lesley's cushion and after Emily Fleming (Medford, Mass.) swished a trey to give the Lynx a comfortable 24-point 57-33 lead at the 10:45 mark, the Blazers held Lesley scoreless over the next 4:42 and scored nine unanswered points to pull Elms to within 15 at 57-42 before Rachael O'Mara (Levittown, N.Y.) halted the run with a jumper and setup the Blazers' final comeback attempt over the final 4:34.

Trailing 59-42, sophomore guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) converted a layup that started an 11-4 run for Elms to close out the contest. Freshman guard Marisabel Santiago (Springfield, Mass.) scored a layup, junior guard Katie Condon (Sandy Hook, Conn.) struck for a pair of baskets in the paint and Murphy delivered a layup and a free throw to highlight the span. However, the late rally was not enough as Lesley held on for a 63-53 victory.

Condon finished with 11 points on 7 of 9 from the stripe, while Murphy grabbed a team-best eight boards in the losing effort. Santiago contributed seven points off the bench.

Brianne Ciara (Pelham, N.H.) netted 15 points and O'Mara finished with 10 to give Lesley three players in double figures, while Wechsler, Caira and Cassidy Freed (Brattleboro, Vt.) each hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds.

In addition to swishing a three-pointer, Fleming handed out eight assists, Caira added three blocks and Freed recorded five helpers in the winning effort.

Elms returns to NECC action on Tuesday, Feb. 1 when it travels to Wheelock College for a 7:00 p.m. contest.