WORCESTER, Mass. – Host Clark University held Simmons College to 31 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers en route to a 71-44 win over the visiting Sharks in non-league women's basketball action on Tuesday evening at the Kneller Athletic Center.

With the win the Cougars evened their record at 2-2, while Simmons drops to 0-4, in search of their first victory under new head coach Kristen Rasmussen-Tarr.

After leading 28-16 at the half, Clark shot a blistering 64 percent from the field (14-for-22) in the final 20 minutes pushing their lead to as many as 27 late in the contest.

The Cougars shot a season-best 48 percent from the field (24-for-50) and had 20 assists attached to their 24 baskets.

The Sharks kept the game close with Clark ahead 39-27 with a little more than 13 minutes remaining when the Cougars embarked on a game-sealing 8-0 run as Esther Cohn, Emily Reilly, Maggie Croft and Ashleigh Condon all converted layups to push the lead to 47-27 with 10:41 left.

Simmons trimmed the lead down to 19 at 55-36 with less than eight minutes left to play, but Clark went on another scoring spree, this time a 7-0 burst that put the game away, highlighted by a conventional three-point play by Megan Grondin.

Liz O'Connor (Milton, Mass.) led the Simmons attack with 12 points, while Hannah May (Hamden, Conn.) added nine points in 18 minutes.

The Sharks host Wentworth on Monday at 7:00 p.m. in their home opener, while Clark returns to the floor on Tuesday when they open up NEWMAC play at Springfield with the tip off slated for 7:00 p.m.