Women’s Basketball Team Battles Wildcats in First of Two Back-to-Back Games

The Wells College women's basketball team battled visiting Cazenovia on March 12. The Express took a pair of leads in each of the first two quarters before the Wildcats got hot and pulled away for a 64-43 final over the Express.

Lydia Thomas (Colton, N.Y.) gave Wells its first lead of the contest in the first quarter at 5-4 with a three. Another three, this time from Jaivonah Adside (New York, N.Y.) put Wells ahead 8-6 late in the first quarter that ended tied at eight points each.

Sonia Rivera (Brooklyn, N.Y.) put the Express back on top with the first basket of the second. Thomas then buried a jumper to extend the Wells lead to four at 12-8. A Morgan Adams (Waverly, N.Y.) layup gave the Express its biggest lead of the game at five points before Cazenovia rallied to take a 16-14 lead.

Rivera sank a three midway through the second for a 17-16 Express lead and followed that with a layup for a 19-16 edge. The Express held that 3-point lead after a Thomas jumper made it 21-18, but once again the Wildcats responded late to earn a 22-21 edge at the break.

The contest was decided in the third when Cazenovia held a 24-8 edge. The teams played close in the fourth at 18-14 and it was enough to carry the Wildcats to victory.

Rivera had a career-best 20 points with a dozen points coming from beyond the arc. Thomas wasn't far behind with a 15-point performance, while Adams was strong under the glass with a team-high 12 rebounds to go with five points. Adside rounded out the scoring with three. Rivera also recorded team highs in assists and steals with three in each category.

The Express take on the Wildcats again tomorrow, March 13 at 2 p.m.