WELLESLEY, Mass. - Despite a big fourth quarter, the Simmons College women's basketball team fell to host Wellesley College, 43-35, this evening in Wellesley, Mass. The Sharks fall to 0-2 on the season, while the Blue improve to 1-2.
Junior guard Jamie Zoldy (Watertown, Conn.) scored 12 of her game and career-high 14 points in the fourth quarter to lead a last period surge that brought Simmons back from a 17-point deficit to within six points, but it was as close as they would get.
Wellesley scored four of the first six points of the final quarter to take a 36-19 lead with 8:57 left in the quarter. The Sharks put together a 16-5 run over the next eight and a half minutes to cut the margin to 41-35 with 20 seconds left, but ran out of time as the Blue held on for the victory.
Zoldy was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line and also added six rebounds and a pair of steals for Simmons. First year guard Francesca Corsinetti (Johnston, R.I.) netted seven points to go with three rebounds and a steal, while junior forward Liz Brasa (East Hartford, Conn.) dropped in six points, grabbed six boards and blocked a shot.
Wellesley outscored its guests in each of the first three quarters, including a 13-4 showing in the third quarter, to take a 32-17 advantage going into the fourth period.
The Sharks scored five unanswered points to open the second quarter, courtesy of a three-pointer from Corsinetti and a lay-up from sophomore forward Presley Silva (Wilmington, Mass.) and take their first lead of the night at 9-7 with 7:23 left in the first half. Simmons held onto an 11-9 lead, following a Brasa jumper at the 3:55 mark of the second quarter, but it would be the Sharks' last lead of the night. The Blue closed out the quarter with a 10-2 burst, capped by a three-pointer from senior guard Alex Berman (Tucson, Ariz.) to take a 19-13 cushion at the half.
Senior forward Chelsi Scott (Portland, Mich.) led Wellesley with 12 points in addition to five rebounds and a block, while first year guard Zojajha Ayub (Belle Mead, N.J.) chipped in with seven points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Simmons returns to action on Tuesday, November 24 when it hosts Wheelock College at 7:00 p.m. in Moore Gymnasium in its home opener, while the Blue head to Milton, Mass. take on Trinity College on November 21 at 1:00 p.m. in the first round of the Curry College Tip-Off Tournament.