Wildcats Ground Nighthawks in NECC Women’s Basketball Action

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-Seniors' trio Christina Calabrese (Hamilton, N.J.), Jessica Hunt (Madison, Conn.) and Kathleen Rodrigue (West Stewartstown, N.H.) helped propel the Wildcats of Bay Path College over the Nighthawks of Newbury College  74=63in New England Collegiate Conference women's basketball action tonight at the STCC Arena. The senior trio combined for 55 points and 37 rebounds en route to their second conference win.
 
The Wildcats topped their season best shooting percentage finishing with a 45% (27-for-60) field goal tally. Hunt and Rodrigue each put up huge double double figures with Hunt scoring the game high 21 points and 20 rebounds, while Rodrigue nailed a season  high 17 points and 11 boards. Calabrese also added 17 points.
 
Two Nighthawks also notched double doubles for the night. Freshman forward Jalisa Fields (Bronx, N.Y.) tied the game high with 21 points and shelled out 14 rebounds, eleven of which were offensive. Fields was the main contributor in Newbury's 24 second chance shots. Fellow freshman center Catherine O'Connell (Quincy, Mass.) had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Katelyn Mark (Quincy, Mass.) pitched in 10 points.
 
Defense was the name of the game for the Wildcats out-rebounding the Nighthawks 54-to-41 for the forty minutes of play. Hunt tallied five blocks for the crimson and white hoopsters.
 
The first half was a tight race for both squads with Newbury edging Bay Path by one 34-33 heading into the locker room. Bay Path came out of the locker room with a vengeance and shut down Newbury's scoring allowing them only 29 points, while Bay Path stepped up the game and tallied 41 points, including a 78.9% from the line nailing 15-of-the-19 attempts from the charity stripe.
 
All Wildcats saw time, with eight of the nine scoring for the night.
 
Bay Path improves to 5-15 overall and 2-10 in the NECC, while Newbury is now 7-11 on the season and 5-7 in conference play. Bay Path will travel for a Saturday's game facing Lesley at a noon start, while Newbury will travel to Southern Vermont for a 1:00 p.m. start.

- Game story submitted by Christa Parulis-Kaye, Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations - New England Collegiate Conference

- Game photo provided by Samantha Yanofsky