BOSTON, Mass. -- The Wesleyan University Cardinals took a 9-0 lead to start the first half and never trailed, defeating the Simmons College Sharks, 57-42 Tuesday evening in non-conference action at the Holmes Sports Center.
The Cardinals (8-4, 1-1 NESCAC) opened the first half with a three-pointer by Dreisen Heath, who went on to score eight on the evening. Teammate Amber Wessells added a team high of nine points with strong play at both ends of the court, while Jess Cherenza and Kendra Harris posted eight and seven points, respectively.
While the Cardinals led by as many as 10 points in the first half, the Sharks offense closed the gap to four, and went into halftime down nine. Junior Hannah May (Hamden, Conn.) led all Sharks with eight points, while senior Liz O'Connor (Milton, Mass.) and Desh Perera (Reading, Mass.) each added seven.
The Cardinals took control in the second half, increasing their lead to 18 as Harris buried two free throws with eleven minutes to play. Cherkira Lashley came off the bench to add six points in the second half for Wesleyan, and Cherenza picked up four defensive rebounds as the Cardinals cruised to victory, 57-42.
The Sharks (2-8) return to action on Saturday, January 12th when they open Great Northeast Athletic Conference play at Emerson College at 1:00 p.m. The Cardinals travel to NESCAC foe Williams College on Friday, January 11th for an 8:00 p.m. start.