Women’s Basketball Cruises Past Wheelock in Home-Opener

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene women's basketball team breezed by Wheelock 84-20 in the 2012-13 season-opener at the Lahue Physical Education Center Thursday evening.

With the win, the Lions begin the slate 1-0 overall while the Wildcats drop to 0-1 to start the year.

Kristina Kaczmarek (Chatsworth, Calif.) led Eastern Nazarene with 17 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds. Jasmin Rodriguez (Milford, Conn.) poured in 16 points while Presley Neufeld (Seattle, Wash.) and Jordan Grays (Elk Grove, Calif.) each chipped in with 10 points. Krystal Holl (Hagerstown, Md.) paced the Lions on the boards, hauling in 10 in her first collegiate game.

Kori Sorensen (Quincy, Mass.) and Kendra Brasil (Methuen, Mass.) both racked up five assists in the win for the home side. Tyshay Montgomery (Woodlawn, Md.) picked up six steals in the victory while Katelyn Memory (Kiowa, Colo.) recorded seven rebounds.

Randi Davis scored a team-best nine points on the night for Wheelock while Kate Drummey registered five boards and four points.

The Lions grabbed a commanding 26-point advantage early on in the contest, owning a 26-0 lead at the midway point of the first half.

Wheelock got on the board with 8:27 remaining in the opening frame as Jessica Ramsey knocked down a free throw.

Eastern Nazarene held a comfortable lead at the break, sporting a 48-13 margin.

The hosts connected on 58.3% of their field-goal attempts in the first half and 57.1% from beyond the arc while holding the visitors to 4-for-13 shooting from the floor.

Grays paced the Lions at the intermission with 10 points and four assists while Rodriguez netted eight points and Sorensen dished out four helpers. Holl pulled down a team-high five rebounds in the first period for Eastern Nazarene.

In the second half, the Lions silenced the Wildcats as they allowed just seven points to be scored.

Eastern Nazarene finished the game with a field-goal percentage of 52.9 while draining seven treys on 15 attempts. Wheelock shot just 22.2% from the field and 18.2% from three-point range in the contest.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene hits the road as it travels to Plymouth State to partake in the Comfort Inn Tip-Off Tournament November 16. The Lions will battle the host Panthers in the opening round at 5 pm.