NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's basketball team came away with a 75-68 victory over Hamilton College on Friday night in a NESCAC showdown at Luce Field House.

Sofia Tavarez (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) netted a game-high 21 points and added five assists and four rebounds to lead the Camels, who registered their second straight win in league play. Mia Xerras (Charlotte, N.C.) added 18 points while Hayle Thompson (Maynard, Mass.) chipped in 10 points and six boards.

In the opening half, neither side led by more than three until a bucket by Taylor Lambo gave the Continentals a 30-25 edge with 3:31 to play in the stanza. Conn countered with a 9-0 spurt that included five points from Xerras, but Hamilton pulled even in the final minute for a 34-34 score at intermission.

Kendall Harris paced the Continentals with nine points in the half, including the 1,000th of her career. Tavarez also had nine points at the break to lead the Camels.

Less than two minutes into the second half, a three by Catherine Cole (Lebanon, N.H.) put the Camels in front for good. Conn outscored Hamilton 20-15 in the period—spurred by six points from Tavarez and five from Cole—and took a 54-49 advantage into the final quarter.

A triple by Xerras extended the margin to 59-50 just over two minutes into the fourth. Her third and final three of the night came minutes later and gave Conn its largest lead at 62-51 with 6:34 to play.

Hamilton knocked the deficit down to five with just under two minutes to go, but the Camels secured the win by going 13-for-14 from the foul line in the final minute. 

Cole finished with eight points and eight rebounds while Sydney Marshall (Enfield, Conn.) contributed six points and six caroms. Valeria Santiago Dedos (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico) also added seven points off the bench. 

Conn (13-8 overall, 4-4 NESCAC) will next host Amherst College on Saturday, February 7 at 3:00 p.m.



ARANGUA-EGBER,KEATON