NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's basketball team pulled out a 60-59 victory over Wheaton College on Sunday afternoon at Luce Field House.

Sofia Tavarez (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) sank the go-ahead free throw with 1.2 seconds remaining to put the Camels on top for good. She finished with a game-high 21 points—17 of which came in the second half—and added six steals in the winning effort. 

The Camels got plenty of offense from its backcourt as Valeria Santiago Dedos (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico) and Mia Xerras (Charlotte, N.C.) also scored in double figures. Santiago Dedos netted a career-high 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting that included three triples, and Xerras added 11 points and three assists.

Cheyenne Colbert paced Wheaton (2-5 overall) with 17 points and five rebounds. Kiki Walters chipped in 16 points and six assists while Regan Keyter added a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards.

Conn opened the game with a 10-2 run that included a pair of baskets by Hayle Thompson (Maynard, Mass.) and threes from both Santiago Dedos and Xerras. However, the Camels couldn't capitalize on the fast start and led 13-9 at the end of the quarter.

The Lyons quickly snatched away the lead behind an 11-0 run at the start of the second, as Colbert drained a pair of threes and Daniella MacDonald added another. The spurt gave Wheaton its biggest lead of the half at 20-13 with 6:08 to go.

Tavarez snapped the Camels out of their funk with a sequence that began with a drive to the paint for a layup. She then stole the ensuing inbounds pass and, before falling out of bounds, found a cutting Santiago Dedos for another easy two. Later, she converted a pair of free throws to tie the score at 21-21, and on Conn's next possession she found Santiago Dedos for a go-ahead three from the wing.

Wheaton closed the half strong, getting back-to-back buckets from Walters and a three from Colbert to lead 30-24 at the break. Colbert led all scorers with 13 points at intermission while Santiago Dedos had 12.

After the Lyons padded the margin to 37-27 in the early stages of the third quarter, Conn came roaring back with a 12-0 spurt to regain the lead. Catherine Cole (Lebanon, N.H.) jump started the rally with a three while Tavarez supplied the final seven points, including a steal that led to a layup and three-point play that put the Camels back in front.

Wheaton trailed 43-41 heading into the final period but scored the first seven points of the fourth to go up by five. Later, a basket by Keyter gave the Lyons a 53-49 edge with 3:56 to play.

The Camels countered with eight straight points and never trailed again. Baskets by Thompson and Santiago Dedos tied the game at 53-53, and Tavarez provided the go-ahead free throws and later tacked on a bucket in the paint.

Wheaton benefited from some missed free throws down the stretch and tied the game at 59-59 on a layup by Keyter with 26 seconds left. The Camels put the ball into Tavarez's hands for the final possession, and after running down the game clock, she drove the left side of the lane and drew a whistle on a running jumper. She converted the first free throw but missed the second, and without a timeout the Lyons didn't have enough time to even attempt a shot.

Tavarez, who shot 11-for-13 from the free throw line, notched her third 20-point game of the season. On the defensive end, Thompson led the Camels with 11 rebounds and three blocks. 

Conn (4-3 overall) will next play at Framingham State University on Wednesday, December 3 at 6:00 p.m.