Regis Women’s Hoop Loses Season Opener

WESTON, Mass. - Regis College held a slight lead at halftime, but Wellesley College grabbed control in the third quarter and held on to defeat the Pride, 65-55, Friday night in the women's collegiate basketball season opener for both teams at Higgins Court.

Jillian Perry (Melrose, Mass.) hit four three-pointers as she led the Pride with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) finished with 11 points and two assists. Erika Marinelli (Point Pleasant, N.J.) scored eight points, Courtney Doherty (Willimantic, Conn.) finished with seven points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and Bella George (Lynnfield, Mass.) added seven points and seven rebounds.

The Pride held the Blue without a field goal for the first three-and-a-half minutes, but Wellesley eventually put together an 8-2 scoring run, capped by consecutive baskets from Trinity Barrow. Regis scored the final five points of the first quarter on a jumper by Zancan and a three-pointer by Perry to pull within one point at 13-12.

After Barrow opened the second quarter with a layup, George scored the next five points to give the Pride a 17-15 advantage. Three-pointers by Perry and Jordyn Striggles (Raynham, Mass.) late in the first half allowed Regis to take a 28-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The lead went back-and-forth early in the third quarter, with a three-pointer from Marinelli putting the Pride back on top, 33-32. Wellesley responded with seven unanswered points, punctuated by a three-pointer from Stacy Chen, and then Yitzel Serna hit a three-pointer to extend the Blue lead to 43-35 late in the period.

In the fourth quarter, Doherty answered a three-pointer from Arielle Lepage with one of her own, but Barrow connected on a long-distance shot to increase the Wellesley lead back to six points at 53-47 midway through the period. Perry hit a three-pointer with 1:43 left in regulation to bring the Pride back within four points at 57-53, but the visitors closed out the game with an 8-2 scoring run by going 6-for-8 from the free throw line.

Barrow led the Blue with 15 points and seven steals, while Chen finished with 12 points. As a team, Wellesley shot 38.7 percent (24-for-62) from the field and 73.3 percent (11-for-15) from the free throw line, plus it won the rebounding battle, 40-33, and scored 22 points off 23 Regis turnovers.

The Pride shot 36.4 percent (20-for-55) from the field, including 8-for-23 from behind the three-point line, but just 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from the free throw line. Regis scored 23 points off 19 Wellesley turnovers.

Regis College (0-1) hosts WPI next Wednesday, Nov. 13, starting at 7 p.m. Wellesley College (1-0) travels to face Worcester State Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.