Nighthawks Prove Too Much For Wildcats

HOLYOKE, Mass.- Junior guard Brittney Alexander (Enfield, Conn.) topped all scorers with 22 points and eleven boards despite a tough loss by the Wildcats. Bay Path unable to keep a 32-26 first half lead fell 73-65 to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Newbury College tonight after a delayed start. Both teams stepped up their game after a late night contest at the Brantley Center.

Newbury jumped ahead early with a 20-10 lead. At 10:21, sophomore newcomer Kayla Skiffington (East Longmeadow, Mass.) started the spark for Bay Path nailing a shot inside. Alexander would sink the next bucket, with Skiffington notching three more baskets.

Skiffington, who reached a double double in the first twenty minutes of play, pulled down 12 rebounds leading the way for the Wildcats. She would finish with 16 points and 17 rebounds for her 34 minutes of play.

Nighthawk senior guard Shayla White (Dorchester, Mass.) started the comeback for Newbury hitting the first basket after the half.  Newbury's high score sophomore forward Katie Haney (Winchendon, Mass.) would go on a run for her team scoring twelve points in the next four minutes. Haney would finish with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

Four Nighthawks would score double figures including Haney and White (13 points). Junior center Catherine O'Connell (Quincy, Mass.) added 18 points and a game high 22 rebounds, while senior guard Kendra Bannister (Washington, D.C.) chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Wildcats made a late run bringing the score within eight points in the final three minutes when Brittney Alexander's (Enfield, Conn.) sister freshman guard Toni Alexander nailed two free throws. Toni finished with nine points, while sophomore center Taylor Riley (Colchester, Vt.) notched ten points.

Newbury is now 6-5 overall and 4-0 in the NECC, while Bay Path is 1-6 and 1-2 overall.  Newbury will host Becker on Thursday, January 12^th at 6:00 p.m. Bay Path will travel to Lesley for an 8:00 p.m. start on Thursday.