Lyons finish semester on down note with 76-68 setback to Salve Regina

December 9, 2006

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's basketball team finished its semester on a down note Saturday afternoon, as the Lyons dropped a 76-68 non-conference decision to visiting Salve Regina University at Emerson Gymnasium. Wheaton moves to 4-4 with the loss, while the Seahawks raise their overall record to 3-2.

Senior co-captain Megan Barry (Plainville, MA/King Philip Regional) and junior Allison Moen (Yonkers, NY/Maria Regina) combined for 42 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks for Salve. Barry led the way with game-best totals of 25 points (7-13 FG, 11-12 FT) and six second-half blocks to go along with her seven rebounds, while Moen had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting with a game-high 10 boards and three rejections.

For Wheaton, junior Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) posted team highs of 16 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) turned in a strong second half, as all 14 of her points came in that frame on 6-of-10 shooting. She also had five steals. The Lyons had five other players score at least six points.

The Seahawks maintained a double-digit advantage through the majority of the game, holding the game's largest lead of 16 on multiple occasions. Wheaton began to chip away at its deficit in the late stages of the second half, whittling Salve's lead all the way down to three with 2:36 to play. Hickey knocked down consecutive jumpers to pull the Lyons within a single possession, but Barry drained four straight free throws, and Wheaton would get no closer than four the rest of the way.

Turnovers plagued the opening half, as a combined 30 giveaways overshadowed Salve Regina's strong shooting performance. The Seahawks made 55.2 percent of their attempts from the floor, led by 11 points from Barry. Wheaton kept things close early, but outside of a 4-4 tie, the Seahawks led throughout following Barry's basket 48 seconds in. The visitors outscored the Lyons, 21-6 following the half's lone tie for a 25-10 advantage at 8:46. Salve twice led by as many as 16 before taking a 39-27 advantage into the locker room.

For the game, the Seahawks outshot and outrebounded Wheaton, shooting 44.8 percent with a 42-28 advantage on the boards, including a decisive 13-6 edge on the offensive glass. Salve finished with 13 steals and 12 blocks, making 74.2 percent of its foul shot opportunities, while the Lyons tallied 14 steals and shot 78.9 percent from the free throw line but just 38.7 percent from the floor.

Wheaton returns to action in 2007 during the Williams College Winter Classic. The Lyons will take on host Williams on Tuesday, January 2 at 8:00 p.m.

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