BOSTON, Mass. -- Simmons Basketball led by 13 points at the half and held on to edge the Pine Manor College Gators, 78-74 for their first win of the 2012-2013 season Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Sports Center.
The Sharks (1-5) went 32-66 from the floor with senior Liz O'Connor (Milton, Mass.) adding 18 points and Olivia LaCroix (Manchester, N.H.) recording 15 points and six assists. Sybil Lynch, who added a team-high eight points, led the Gators and Ashley Reeves added seven off the bench to enter halftime with the Sharks leading, 42-29. Hannah May (Hamden, Conn.) and Jen Janiak (Chelmsford, Mass.) were also in double digits, adding 14 and 10 points, respectively.
In the second half, Pine Manor (2-5) chipped away at the Sharks lead, outscoring Simmons 45-36. The Gators tied the game at 60 off back-to-back three pointers by Alexis Lee with nine minutes to play.
Meagan Badohu put the Gators ahead by two, 74-72 with four minutes remaining but Georgia Kostopoulos (Cambridge, Mass.) jumped for an offensive rebound before tying the game at 74, with just over three minutes left of the clock.
After a Pine Manor turnover at 3:39, O'Connor ignited the Sharks offense in the final minutes with a jump shot off a pass from May to give the Sharks the lead, 76-74. O'Connor added an insurance basket with one minute to play and the Sharks defense held strong as the Sharks went on to win, 78-74
The Sharks return to action on Tuesday, December 11th at Brandeis University at 7:00 p.m. The Gators host Bard College tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m.