For Immediate Release
January 23, 2008
Wellesley Sports Information
Wellesley Defeats Babson in Double Overtime
Box Score
WELLESLEY, MA – Wellesley outlasted Babson College in double overtime to take an 84-75 victory at Keohane Sports Center this evening. Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK) and Courtney Pelley (Leicester, MA) combined for 44 points in the win, lifting the Blue to 5-10 overall and 2-3 in NEWMAC play. Babson falls to 7-9 and 2-2 in the conference.
In a first half that featured cold shooting and eight lead changes, neither team was able to take charge, with Babson holding a 29-27 edge at the break. The Beavers threatened to break away early in the second half, as they opened a 33-27 lead in the opening minutes. But Wellesley bounced back with a layup from Duff and back-to-back three-pointers from Courtney Richter (Sinking Springs, MD) and Katie Martore (Great Falls, VA) to retake the lead 37-35.
Babson followed with six unanswered points, including two jumpers from Becky Pelletier (Harwinton, CT) and one from Caitlin Boulier (Wolcott, CT), to take a 41-37 advantage, threatening once again to break the game open. But Wellesley caught fire from three-point land, as Pelley sank three from beyond the line and Laura Barrett (Dobbs Ferry, NY) drained one, once again giving the Blue the lead at 51-48.
The Beavers tied the score at 57-57 at the 2:45 mark, when Rebecca Bowman (Melrose, MA) sank a short jumper. Wellesley responded with back-to-back freethrows from Duff, then two defensive stops and two more freethrows from Duff for a 61-57 lead with 1:35 remaining. But with 50 seconds left, Boulier cut the lead to two with a 10-foot jumper. Bowman then tied the score at 61-61 with a layup at the 19-second mark. A jump ball under the Wellesley basket gave Babson possession, but Duff tied up Bowman’s last-second layup attempt to send the game into overtime.
In the opening two minutes of the extra period, the Blue opened a five-point lead at 69-64. The Beavers fought back, knotting the score at 71-71 with 45 seconds left in the period. After a key defensive stop, the guests called timeout to set up their closing play. Boulier’s jumper was wide left and Duff grabbed the rebound to force another overtime.
The second overtime period opened with a freethrow from Duff and a 15-footer from Boulier to give Babson a 73-72 edge. Pelley sank a three-pointer to give the Blue a 75-73 lead with 3:00 on the clock. The Beavers responded with six-footer from Poulson to tie the game at 75-75. Back-to-back freethrows from Martore gave the hosts a two-point edge with 1:30 left. The Blue held Babson scoreless in the next possession, and Martore sank a three-pointer to give Wellesley a five-point cushion with 40 seconds left. Duff sank another freethrow, stretching the lead to 81-75. Another point from the charity stripe and a layup at the buzzer gave the Blue the 84-75 victory.
Boulier, who surpassed the 1000-point mark in her career this evening, led Babson with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Bowman added 15 points, while Linsey Poulson (Leominster, MA) and Caitlin Fenn (Niantic, CT) chipped in 13 and 10, respectively. Nicole McManus (Baldwinsville, NY) led all rebounders with 18.
Duff paced the Blue with 23 points, a career high, along with 13 rebounds. Pelley tallied 21, also a career high, including 5-8 from three-point range. Richter added 15 points, while Martore chipped in 10 points and seven assists. Julia Thomas (Concord, CA) once again led the Blue under the boards, snatching 16 rebounds.
Wellesley returns to action on Saturday at 2:00 p.m., hosting Wheaton in a NEWMAC match-up. Babson will also take the court at 2:00 on Saturday, when they travel to Smith.