POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Junior guard Francesca Corsinetti (Johnston, R.I.) netted 12 points to lead the Simmons College women's basketball team in a 68-39 loss to Wellesley College in the consolation game of the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament at the Athletics and Fitness Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Sharks fall to 0-2 on the season, while the Blue improve to 1-1.
Wellesley forced Simmons into 30 turnovers and owned a 39-6 scoring advantage in points off turnovers to make the difference in the game.
Corsinetti knocked down a pair of three-pointers and added two assists, three rebounds and a steal for the Sharks, while senior forward Presley Silva (Wilmington, Mass.) dropped in eight points on 3-6 from the floor to go with five rebounds, three steals, two blocks and an assist and was named to the All-Tournament Team. First year guard Carli Koffinke (Franklin, Mass.) contributed with six points on a pair of trifectas and added two rebounds. Junior forward Lauren Brandau (Madison, Conn.) led all players with eight rebounds in addition to four points and an assist.
First year guard Lane Arkangel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) led the Blue with 16 points on 6-10 from the floor in 19 minutes of play to go with two rebounds and three steals, while senior guard Kayla Jang (South Pasadena, Calif.) netted 15 points, grabbed five rebounds, came up with a career-high six steals and handed out an assist. Sophomore Emily Kopp (King Ferry, N.Y.) chipped in with 10 points, three assists, a steal and a rebound.
Corsinetti drained a three-pointer for Simmons at 8:26 of the first quarter for the first points of the game, but Wellesley put together a 19-2 run over the next seven-plus minutes, led by eight from Jang, to take a 19-5 lead with 48 seconds to go in the quarter. Corsinetti made a jumper for the Sharks to close the quarter with the Blue owning a 19-7 lead.
Corsinetti later hit a three-ball to cut the deficit to 23-12 for Simmons with 5:27 showing in the second quarter, before Wellesley went on a 13-2 burst, paced by six points from Kopp, to take a 36-14 lead with 1:14 remaining in the half. The Sharks scored five of the final seven points of the half, including a three-pointer from Koffinke, to make it 38-19 at the intermission.
Brandau later converted a lay-up at the 7:12 mark of the third quarter to cut the margin to 40-23 for Simmons, but the Blue ripped off nine unanswered points, including four from sophomore guard Kendall You Mak (San Francisco, Calif.), to increase their lead to 49-23 with 4:04 left in the period. The Sharks answered with seven straight points, including a three-pointer from first year guard Jalissa Rodriguez (Waterbury, Conn.), to pull to within 49-30. Wellesley scored the final five points of the quarter to take a 54-30 cushion into the final period of play.
Silva sank a jumper with 7:40 to go in the game to bring Simmons to within 58-34, but the Blue scored the next 10 points, led by four points from Kopp, to take a 68-34 margin. The Sharks netted the final five points of the afternoon, including Koffinke's second trey of the game, to set the final at 68-39.
The Sharks return to action to play the Blue again in Wellesley on Tuesday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m.