Host Wheaton wins New Year's Tournament, Aitchison earns MVP honor

January 4, 2008

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's basketball team claimed the championship at its New Year's Tournament by defeating Trinity College, 78-36 during Friday's title game in Emerson Gym, as senior Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) was named most valuable player during Wheaton's first year hosting the event. The Lyons won their third straight contest to improve to 7-4, while Trinity had its seven-game win streak snapped in falling to 7-2. In the consolation game, 4-5 Emerson College knocked off 5-4 Lesley University, 65-45.

In the championship game, Wheaton hit its first four field goal attempts en route to an 8-0 advantage, while sophomore Andrea Bailey (Needham, MA/Needham) played a role in eight of the Lyons' first 10 points behind two buckets and two assists by 16:21 of the first period. The Blue and White slowly began pulling away, turning a six-point edge at 16:03 into an 11-point cushion at 11:01, and an 11-2 run later in the stanza made it 28-10 with 6:20 remaining. Bailey finished with nine points and seven assists in the first half, and the hosts held a 39-19 advantage at halftime. The Lyons shot 54.5 percent during the period and turned the ball over only four times.

Wheaton steadily increased its advantage during the opening minutes of the second half, and a 50-27 lead with 11:29 to play was followed by a 20-0 Lyon run over a 5:28 span that put the game out of reach. The hosts went 8-of-9 from the floor during that time, as the Blue and White hit four three-pointers. Wheaton shot 54.1 percent for the game and committed only 10 turnovers while limiting Trinity to 20.9 percent shooting, including 16.7 percent in the second half. The Lyons also shot 6-of-14 from three-point range.

Aitchison tallied 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting with five rebounds and three assists, while sophomore Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford) joined her on the all-tournament team after totaling 12 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Junior Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) tallied a game-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Bailey finished with 13 points and nine assists. For Trinity, sophomore Kristen Liska (Falmouth, MA/Falmouth) was named all-tournament after recording seven points and eight rebounds, while classmate Jessica Sims (Peabody, MA/Peabody Veterans Memorial) had seven boards off the bench.

During a back-and-forth first half in the opening contest, one in which the teams exchanged the lead 13 times and played to 10 ties, Emerson and Lesley combined for 18 field goals and 18 free throws. Consecutive hoops by sophomore Hailee Lowe (Hamilton, MA/Hamilton-Wenham Regional) sparked a 6-0 Lesley run that put the Lynx up, 11-6 at 13:17 of the first half, but junior Bri Papa (Camillus, NY/Bishop Ludden) rallied Emerson by scoring all eight of her team's points during an 8-2 run that put the Lions back on top, 14-13 with 9:42 to play. Emerson led by as many as four on Papa's third three-pointer with 1:46 left, and the Lions entered the locker room with a 30-27 edge. Papa had a game-high 13 points at intermission, while junior Lauren Vassallo (Oxford, CT/Seymour) had nine points and 10 rebounds. Lowe tallied 10 points for Lesley, which had 11 free throws and eight field goals while holding a 16-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

Emerson scored the first 16 points of the second half, with six coming from junior Maude Okrah (Rutland, MA/Notre Dame Academy), as Lesley missed its first 10 shots and had committed eight turnovers by the time they scored their first points on a Lowe bucket at 11:33. The Lions eventually led by as many as 21 points in the waning seconds after leading by at least 14 for the final 14:08 of regulation. The teams combined for 40 second-half turnovers and 62 for the game, and the Lynx outscored Emerson, 24-15 off turnovers.

Vassallo, who was named to the all-tournament team, finished with her second double-double in as many nights with 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting and 11 rebounds. Papa added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Okrah had 10 points and seven boards. Lowe notched 12 points, five rebounds and three steals for Lesley while being selected for the all-tournament squad. Junior Lani Cabral-Pini (Wilmington, MA/Wilmington) finished with six steals.

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