Barber, Ryan Elevate Women's Basketball vs. Cazenovia

AURORA, N.Y. – Freshmen Vielka Barber (Holly Springs, N.C.) and Carley Ryan (Middleburgh, N.Y.) posted double-doubles for the Wells College women's basketball team in their 86-74 victory over Cazenovia College on Tuesday at the Farenthold Athletic Wing. Wells improves to 8-4 overall on the season and to 4-1 within the North Eastern Athletic Conference. Cazenovia falls to 3-6 and to 0-3 within the league.

Barber picked up a team-leading 13 rebounds for Wells, notching 11 points for the first double-double of her career. Ryan poured home 18 points for the Express, securing 11 rebounds and a team-leading six assists to earn her third double-double. Junior Ashida Cooper (Bensalem, Pa.) led Wells with 25 points and four steals while senior Holli Erkson (Cooperstown, N.Y.) earned 15 points and six rebounds.

Cooper was 12-for-14 (.857) from the floor against Cazenovia, the best single-game field goal percentage by any player in Wells history with at least 10 field goal attempts.

A Barber free throw put Wells on top 10-3 only 3:57 into the contest, but Cazenovia rallied back with a 13-1 scoring run that saw Skylar Girard pour in two of her team's three shots from distance during that sequence. Ryan bombed back-to-back three-point baskets down the stretch, but the Wildcats were able to capture its largest lead of the afternoon, 22-17, with 37 seconds left in the opening stanza.

Wells took the lead for good in the second quarter, using an 18-5 scoring run to capture a 37-27 lead following a Ryan layup with 3:22 left in the opening half. Cazenovia would go on to score four-straight baskets (by four-different players) near the midpoint of the third quarter, but the Express would put the game out of reach with its play in the fourth quarter.

To open the fourth quarter, the Express would score 21 of the frame's first 31 points to open up a commanding 80-60 lead. The Wildcats, however, would find success in the final 2:23 of action, scoring an impressive 14 points during that frame to shrink the final score to 86-74.

Cazenovia was led by Girard's 23 points. Defensively, guard Kelli Shepardson's nine rebounds led the way while Sierra Szwec struck for five assists.

Wells returns to action this Saturday, Jan. 16 as it welcomes Bryn Athyn to Aurora, N.Y. for a 3 p.m. NEAC contest in the Farenthold Athletic Wing.