NEWPORT, R.I. -- Salve Regina University women's basketball defeated Wellesley College, 66-51, in NEWMAC action at the Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport, Rhode Island, on Saturday afternoon.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Salve Regina 66, Wellesley 51
Records: Salve Regina (11-9, 4-3 NEWMAC), Wellesley (6-14, 1-6 NEWMAC)
History: These programs meet for the fifth time overall and second as fellow members of the NEWMAC. Salve Regina has won a pair of neutral site meetings (53-42 in 2012 in Williamstown, Mass.; 57-49 in 2022 in Las Vegas, Nev.) while Wellesley has held serve at home on two occasions (54-42 in 2013; 70-60 in 2024). In last year's loss, Sofia Neary pulled down a season-high 18 rebounds. Briana Neary scored 11 points, including the 1000th point of her career. Briana joined Seahawk alum Kaitlyn Birrell '13 in achieving the milestone on the Blue hardwood. Salve Regina now leads the all-time series, 3-2.

SUMMARY

• 1Q | Following an Ava Shane layup, Ashley Rourke put Salve Regina on the board with a 3-pointer. Sofia Neary boosted the Seahawk lead to 5-2 with her perimeter jump shot. Briana Neary's short jumper at 4:43 gave Salve Regina an 11-8 advantage before Wellesley went on a 7-0 run triggered by Trinity Barrow's triple. Caitlin Windross put in a second chance layup at the buzzer for a two-point margin for the visiting Blue. | Blue 17, Seahawks 15
• 2Q | After Arla Hofer's jumper jumped the Blue lead to 19-15, Amanda Folan drained a 3-pointer for the Seahawks. Folan had another setp back 3-pointer to knot the score at 21-21. Salve Regina finished the quarter on a 16-4 run capped by a Sophia Hjerpe second chance layup at the buzzer. | Seahawks 19, Blue 8
• 3Q | The Blue opened the second half with seven straight points and pulled within two (34-32) after Proud Techarungchaikul's 3-pointer. Sofia Neary scored the next six points on layups over a four-minute span. Both teams had nine points on the board in the period (Sofia Neary accounted for all of Salve's offensive output) until Stacy Chen converted an old-fashioned three-point play at 1:06 and made it a six-point margin heading into the final quarter. | Blue 12, Seahawks 9
• 4Q | Ava Shane started the scoring with a layup after an offensive rebound by Trinity Barrow. Ashley Rourke sandwiched a pair of layups around a Hope Halvarson steal and fast break lay in to give Salve Regina a double-digit lead. Shane's jumper at 4:02 cut the Blue deficit to eight (54-46) before the Seahawks sealed the win going 10-for-10 at the line down the stretch. Briana Neary had a fast break layup in the mix following a defensive rebound for Rourke and an assist from Amanda Folan. | Seahawks 23, Blue 14

NOTEWORTHY

• Sofia Neary registered her eighth double-double of the season (16 points, 12 rebounds).
• From the free throw line, Salve Regina made only three of its first 12 attempts. In the final 96 seconds, the Seahawks made all 10 attempts (Ashley Rourke went 8-for-8, and Amanda Folan went 2-for-2).
• Ashley Rourke scored 12 of her team-high 17 points in the final quarter.
• Briana Neary and Amanda Folan both finished with 10 points on the afternoon.
• Ava Shane led all players with 20 points and also had a double-double with 10 boards.
• Trinity Barrow logged 40 minutes of action for the Blue.
• Sofia Neary's stat line included six blocked shots while she and Hope Halvarson notched four steals apiece.

ON THE HORIZON
The Seahawks play the Pride on the road in Springfield, Massachusetts, in NEWMAC action on Wednesday, February 12, with a 5 p.m. tip-off on FloCollege.