Team Effort Lifts Women’s Basketball To 10th Victory

AURORA, N.Y. – The Wells College women's basketball team posted a 60-44 victory over the Mustangs of Morrisville State College on Tuesday within the Frances Tarlton Farenthold Athletic Wing. The Express posted their 10th overall victory of the year, improving to 10-7 overall on the year and to 5-3 within the North Eastern Athletic Conference. Morrisville State falls to 4-12 overall on the year and to 2-7 within league play.

Wells is off to their best start in program history, racking up 10 victories within their first 17 games of the season. Last year, Wells posted 13 victories across 27 games and saw their season's 10th win in their 20th game played. The Express have also posted their fourth victory over the Mustangs across the previous five contests between the two league rivals.

Sophomore Lindsay Achzet (Johnstown, N.Y.) posted a team-leading 12 points, ranking first on her team in scoring for the first time dating back to a 55-34 victory over the Mustangs on Jan. 23, 2013. Junior Cassie Smythe (Eden, N.Y.) racked up 11 points, her third double-digit scoring effort of the season, after bombing 3-of-5 shots from distance for the Express.

Junior Kaitlynne Knapp (Port Byron, N.Y.) pulled down nine rebounds for Wells and added 10 points and a team-best three blocks. Senior Ashley Roser (Taberg, N.Y.) led her team with 13 total rebounds and four takeaways. Classmate Theresa Hernandez (Dewitt, N.Y.) racked up seven assists for the Express, tying a career-high mark.

Wells never trailed throughout the contest, building up a game-high 21 point lead with 7:02 remaining in the second half. Morrisville State, however, kept things close in the opening half of play and trailed by a 19-18 margin with only 3:18 left in the first half. Wells, however, used a 6-1 scoring run to create a large advantage down the stretch. Jordan Anderson of the visiting Mustangs made things interesting in the waning seconds, converting a desperation "three" near the buzzer to shrink the deficit to four points.

Smythe came up clutch for Wells, opening the second half scoring with a three-point basket only 11 seconds into play. She later added another "three" in the half's third minute, creating a 12 point lead for the host Express. Wells would lead by double-digits for the remainder of the game following Smythe's shot from distance.

Anderson was 7-for-16 from the floor for the visitors, converting 3-of-4 three-point field goals for her team. Caitlyn Adams, Kaitlyn Griffin and Anderson each posted four steals while the former was responsible for four of her team's five total blocks. Adams also racked up nine rebounds, leading the team in that category.

The Express return to action this Saturday, Feb. 1 as they host the Bison of Gallaudet University in a 3:00 p.m. contest. Throughout the day, Wells will be hosting their first-ever Athletic Open House, a day dedicated to prospective student-athletes and their families. For more information, visit http://www.wells-express.com/openhouse.