BOSTON, Mass. – Junior guard Jamie Zoldy (Watertown, Conn.) scored 15 points and classmate Ashley McAdams (Freeport, N.Y.) posted a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Simmons College women's basketball team to a 58-49 victory over visiting Fisher College this evening at Moore Gymnasium on the campus of Simmons in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 2-3 on the season, while the Falcons fall to 2-3.
Zoldy and McAdams combined for 16 points in the third quarter to help Simmons turn a 21-19 halftime deficit into a 48-38 lead after three quarters of play. The Sharks shot 57.9% (11-19) in the pivotal period and dominated the glass for the game with a 63-38 rebounding margin, while holding the visitors to just 25.4% (18-71) shooting from the floor.
Zoldy was 6-11 from the floor and added six rebounds, four assists and a steal for Simmons, while McAdams was 4-8 and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line in addition to handing out two assists and making a steal. Junior forward Liz Brasa (East Hartford, Conn.) chipped in with eight points, seven rebounds and an assist in 18 minutes off the bench, while sophomore guard Celina Jones (Milford, Mass.) was 3-5 from the field to score seven points to go with four rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes.
First year guard Aliyanah McIntosh (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led all scorers with 19 points for Fisher to go with five rebounds, four steals, an assist and a blocked shot. Sophomore guard Madison Carroll (Methuen, Mass.) scored 14 points, pulled down nine boards, came up with four steals, blocked a shot and dished out a pair of assists.
The Falcons scored nine of the first 11 points to open the game and take a 9-2 lead with 4:27 left in the first quarter. McIntosh scored five points during the opening run. The Sharks closed out the period with a 6-2 run and scored the first four points of the second quarter to take a 12-11 edge with 7:12 showing in the second period. The teams played within two points of each other for the remainder of the half with three lead changes and three ties in the closing minutes of the stanza.
Simmons began the second half with an 8-2 run to take a 27-23 lead with 7:58 to go in the period, but Carroll netted all eight points during an 8-2 burst to give Fisher a 31-29 lead with 6:41 to play in the quarter. The teams were later tied at 33-33 at the 4:26 mark of the quarter, before the Sharks put together a 15-5 stretch to end the period and take a 48-38 advantage.
Carroll drained a three-pointer to open the final quarter for the Falcons and pull them to within 48-41, but it was as close as they would get for the rest of the night. Simmons scored 10 of the next 11 points to take its largest lead of the game at 58-42 with 5:22 left in the contest. McAdams and Jones each scored four points to spark the run for the Sharks. Fisher scored the final seven points of the game, but ran out of time as Simmons held on for the win.
The Sharks will be in action again on Saturday, December 5 when they travel to North Adams, Mass. to take on Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 1:00 p.m., while the Falcons host Wheelock College on December 8 at 7:00 p.m.