BOSTON, Mass. - Senior forward Presley Silva (Wilmington, Mass.) registered a double-double of 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to lead the Simmons College women's basketball team in a 62-52 loss to visiting Norwich University this evening in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks fall to 1-7 overall, including 1-2 in league play, while the Cadets improve to 4-6 and 1-2.
Simmons overcame a poor first half of shooting (21.4%/6-28) to shoot 42.3% (11-26) and outscore Norwich, 34-32, in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the visitors.
Silva was 10-12 from the free throw line and added three assists, two steals and a season-high six blocks to her second double-double of the year to lead Simmons. First year guard Jalissa Rodriguez (Waterburn, Conn.) matched her career-best with 11 points in addition to three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 22 minutes off the bench. First year guard Carli Koffinke (Franklin, Mass.) also contributed with eight points, four rebounds and a blocked shot in her first collegiate start.
Senior forward Arianna Harrison (Vernon, Vt.) posted a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds and was 9-13 from the line to go with three steals, while senior guard Shyann Josler (Thetford Center, Vt.) chipped in with 12 points, seven assists, a blocked shot and matched her career high with five steals, despite suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
Harrison converted a lay-up for the first points of the second half to give the Cadets their largest lead of the night at 32-18 with 9:50 showing in the third quarter. Norwich later maintained a 37-23 advantage following a jumper from first year guard Julia Vigorito (Malden, Mass.), but Simmons put together a 13-5 run, fueled by a pair of threes from Rodriguez and seven points from Silva, to pull the Sharks to within 42-36 with 19 ticks left in the third period. The Cadets took a 44-37 lead into the final quarter and later held a 46-40 margin at the 7:50 mark. Simmons reeled off five straight points, including a three-pointer from Koffinke and a jumper from junior guard Rebekah Carroll (Londonderry, N.H.) to pull the home team to within 46-45 with 6:41 left to play. First year guard Suzie Cosme (Framingham, Mass.) later knocked down a running jumper at 5:01 to keep the Sharks to within a point at 48-47, but it was as close as Simmons would get for the rest of the contest. Norwich closed out the game on a 14-5 run, paced by seven points from Harrison, to come away with a 10-point victory.
The Cadets held the Sharks scoreless for the first 5:10 of the game and jumped out to an 8-2 lead with 2:36 showing in the opening quarter. Simmons scored five of the next seven points to pull to within 10-7 with 43 seconds remaining in the period, before Norwich netted the final five points of the quarter, including four from Josler to take a 15-7 lead into the second period. The Cadets later owned a 17-9 lead with 6:32 left in the second half, before increasing their lead to 26-13, following a 9-4 burst capped by a Josler trifecta at 3:39. Norwich maintained its cushion and took a 30-18 advantage into the intermission.
The Sharks return to the hardwood on Thursday, January 11 when they host GNAC foe Saint Joseph's College (Maine) at 7:00 p.m. at Moore Gymnasium, while the Cadets host Regis (Mass.) on the same night at 5:00 p.m.