The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference

NEWBURGH, NY- The Wheaton College women's basketball team whittled a 14-point second-half deficit with less than nine minutes to play down to three with 24 ticks on the clock before falling short of nationally-ranked Tufts University, 71-67 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night at Mount Saint Mary College's Kaplan Center. Tufts will face the winner of Mount Saint Mary and Albright College in tomorrow's second round for the right to advance to next weekend's NCAA Sweet 16.

Wheaton, which was competing in its first NCAA Tournament in 13 seasons, had a seven-game winning streak snapped while finishing its season at 22-7. Representing the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), the Lyons' 22 victories were the third most in program history. Out of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Tufts is making its first NCAA Tournament in the program's 36-year history. The Jumbos improved their record to 24-3.

Junior Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School), whose conventional three-point play with 24.9 seconds on the clock brought Wheaton to within three points, led the Lyons with 19 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford) recorded 12 points, while juniors Jennie Pleat (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) and Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) and sophomore Andrea Bailey (Needham, MA/Needham) each had eight.

Senior Khalilah Ummah (Litchfield, ME/Waynflete School) tallied game highs of 24 points and 11 boards for the Jumbos. Sophomore Julia Baily (Farmington, CT/Miss Porter's School) and freshman Colleen Hart (Needham, MA/Needham) chipped in with 12 points apiece, while senior Jenna Gomez (Norfolk, MA/Noble and Greenough School) rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11.

Trailing 58-44 approaching the eight-minute mark of the second half, Wheaton outscored Tufts, 11-2 over a 2:15 span, as five different Lyons contributed points during the run. The Jumbos pushed their lead out to 65-57 at 3:29 thanks to a pair of Hart free throws before Wheaton made one final push. During a 2:54 stretch, an 8-3 run brought the Blue and White to within one possession, but Hart knocked down two freebies with 17 seconds to go. Following a Lyon miss, Tufts hit one of two from the free throw line at the six-second mark to seal the win.

A Champney jumper 20 seconds into the second half narrowed Wheaton's differential to 35-30 before the Jumbos scored 12 of the game's next 16 points to take a 47-34 lead with 14:33 left. Still behind by 13 with 13 minutes to go, back-to-back treys from Bailey and Hickey 39 seconds apart made it a seven-point game at 12:13. The Jumbos responded with four straight points from Ummah and a three-pointer by junior Kim Moynihan (West Hartford, CT/Hall) to lead by 14 at 56-42 midway through the stanza.

In the first half, three lead changes and a trio of ties transpired through the first nine minutes of action, as the teams were deadlocked at 12. Three different Jumbos connected on baskets during 2:08 to make the score 18-12 at 8:18. Clinging to a 24-20 lead with four minutes remaining, Tufts used an 11-2 run over 2:11 to capture the frame's largest advantage at 35-22. Gomez and Hart combined to score seven points during the spurt. Consecutive threes by Champney and Hickey in the last 1:01 cut Wheaton's deficit to 35-28 entering the break.

Wheaton finished with 17 assists on 22 field goals, shooting 39.3 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three-point range and 85.0 percent from the charity stripe. Bailey grabbed five rebounds, dished out six assists and had three steals. Sophomore Ida Kruse (Vershire, VT/Rivendell Academy) added six boards and three assists.

For Tufts, which outrebounded the Lyons, 44-33, Moynihan posted six rebounds and four assists. Hart also had four assists to go alongside four rebounds.

Wheaton's Second-half Comeback Bid Falls Just Short Against Tufts, 71-67, in NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament