"I want to thank Coach Griffith for this opportunity," said Akins. "My number one priority is to hold fast to the vision we outlined over the past two seasons, to be the best team in the city. We fully understand the power of athletics and the positive influence it can bring to faculty, students, parents and our community. I firmly believe we have cracked the code and continuing down this path of success is my number one priority for the upcoming season."

Benjamin Akins joined Pine Manor College as Assistant Basketball Coach in September 2011, serving as an assistant coach for two season under Athletic Director/Head Coach John Griffith. Akins was named Head Coach of Pine Manor College  Women’s Basketball for the 2013-14 season. Akins brings over 12 years of coaching experience in various areas of athletics, fitness, team-building, counseling and character development to the PMC basketball program. Akins also brings over 20 years of diverse and challenging professional experience in leadership, physical fitness, financial management, administration, business management and countless areas of personnel management.

"One of the main reasons I decided to join the staff at Pine Manor was a personal and professional love for challenges," said Akins. "For us to succeed as a program and as an institution, we must all develop a respect for the process and success will follow through patience and perseverance. Understanding our roles, responsibilities and giving a maximum effort each and every day without excuses."

Prior to arriving at Pine Manor, Akins spent one year as the assistant coach at Massasoit Community College alongside Head Coach George Brown. In addition, Akins brings additional experience in coaching adult intramurals, high and junior high school boys' basketball to include youth level competitive sports.

Akins is a 17-year active duty veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he served as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor at Parris Island, S.C., director of NCO leadership school, Inspector-Instructor & Honor Guard duty and two combat tours. His personal awards and medals include the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement medal (5th award), Navy Unit Commendation medal (2nd award), Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (5th award), National Defense medal (2nd award), Global War on Terrorism medal, Sea Service Deployment (2nd award) and Overseas Service (3rd award). Upon completion of active duty, Akins served a one-year tour of duty in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Coach Akins continues his service to the nation as a GS-12, Financial Specialist at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA.

Akins currently majors in Psychology at American Military University and is a proud member of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Box Score

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Pine Manor College Women's Basketball dropped a 92-74 decision to Spelman College in the first round of the 2013 Great South Athletic Conference Tournament (GSAC) on Friday afternoon at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL. With the loss the Gators close out the 2012-13 season with an overall record of 9-14.

Led by 27 points from Andrea Kinzer, Spelman established a 12 point halftime advantage at 46-34. The Jaguars then grew the lead to as many as 26 points midway through the second half before eventually taking the 92-74 final. With the win, Spelman advance to the semifinals. They will face top-seed and host Huntingdon College tomorrow afternoon. 

The Gators had no answer for the hot-shooting of Spelman. Led by Kinzer, the Jaguars shot a blistering 47.1% from the field in the contest, while also establishing a 54-44 rebounding advantage. Christiauna Draper and Tiana Welch also finished in double-figures for Spelman with 13 points each. In total, 11 different players scored in the contest for Spelman. 

Pine Manor was led by a team-high 23 points from GSAC Freshman of the Year Alexis Lee (Akron, OH). Freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) added 17 points of her own for the Gators, while Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. 

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Great South Athletic Conference has announced its 2012-2013 All-Conference Award winners and a trio of Pine Manor College Women’s Basketball players have earned all-conference awards. The trio is headlined by freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) who has been named the 2013 GSAC Freshman of the Year.

 Lee is joined on the GSAC All-freshman team by classmate Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ), while Gator sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) was named to the GSAC All-Conference team after leading the Gators with 16 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game on the season.

Lee (pictured above, middle) was second in the league in scoring with an average of 16.0 points per game. The dynamic first-year star also led the conference in free throw shooting percentage (77,6%) and finished second overall in assists with 79. She displayed her shooting skills by leading the league in three-point shooting percentage (38.6) and three’s made per game (2.8).

Lynch (above, right), the other half of PMC's first-year backcourt duo, finished second on the Gators in scoring at 14.0 PPG. The freshman guard scored 20+ points four times this season, including in back-to-back games to close out the regular season. Lynch collected 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game for Gators while knocking down 37 three-pointers on the season, the second most on the team. She was most recently named the GSAC Player of the Week earlier this week.

A sophomore forward from Windsor, CT, Franklin (above, left) averaged a double-double this season, finishing as Pine Manor's leading scorer at 16.0 PPG and leading rebounder at 10.2 RPG. Franklin finished second on the team in assists with 51 (2.3 APG) and led the Gators in field goal percentage, shooting at .448 % on the season. She was the team leader in blocks with 11 on the season while finishing second on the Gators in steals with 53.

 Salem College junior guard Satavia Taylor claimed conference Player of the Year. For the complete all-conference results visit the conference website by clicking here.

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Great South Athletic Conference announced the winter sports week fourteen Player of the Week on Wednesday morning and women’s basketball player and Sybil Lynch of Pine Manor College was selected as the winner through exclusive voting by the league sports information directors.

Lynch led the Gators in scoring during both of their games this week, including a 79-68 victory over Fisher College on Wednesday. Lynch scored a then career-high 23 points versus Fisher on Wednesday, while also collecting five rebounds, two steals and a pair of assists. The freshman from Hoboken, NJ then followed that performance by establishing a new career-high in points with 29 in an 87-67 PMC setback to Lasell College on Saturday while also grabbing six rebounds and two steals. For the week, she averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2 steals and one assist per game.

The GSAC sports information directors nominate Player of the Week candidates and then vote on the top two nominees in each sport as selected by the conference office. Player of the Week voting occurs on Tuesdays and the weekly announcement of the winners is released each Wednesday morning.

Live Video and Statistics will also be available for every game of the 2013 GSAC Basketball Championship Tournament:

For Live Statistics, click here.

For Live Video, click here.

Be sure to check www.pmc.edu/athletics throughout the weekend for the latest updates or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PMCAthletics.

Full tournament information, including the complete tournament schedule, can be found by visting the official GSAC conference website, click here.

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Pine Manor College Women's Basketball will make its first apperance in the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament this Friday, February 22, 2013, when they take on the Spelman College Jaguars at Huntingdon College's Roland Arena in Montgomery, Alabama.

The fifth-seeded Gators (9-13, 0-0 GSAC) will take on the number four seed, Spelman College (8-17, 4-6 GSAC), in the tournament's third game at 4:30 PM CST, 5:30 PM Eastern Time, on Friday afternoon. A four-year liberal arts women's college located five minutes west of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, Spelman has been a member of the GSAC since 2003. Spelman enter the tournament as winners of three of thier last five games, including a commanding 93-40 win over Bennett College in the Jaguars' regular season finale.

The winner will advance to take on tournament host and top overall seed, Huntingdon College (15-9, 8-2 GSAC) in the second of two semifinal matchups on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM CST, 4:30 PM EST.

The championship game of the GSAC Tournament will take place on Sunday, February 24 at 1:00 PM CST, 2:00 PM Eastern Time. The winner will earn the conference's automatic qualifier to the 2013 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Pine Manor College Women’s Basketball freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) scored a career-high 29 points, but the Gators dropped an 87-67 decision to visiting Lasell College on Saturday afternoon at Brunelli Court.

A pair of freshmen stole the spotlight on Senior Day, as Lasell’s Molly Lauver (Cambridge, NY) was not to be outdone by Lynch, scoring a game-high 30 points off the bench for the Lasers on 11-16 shooting. It was the second time this season that Lauver topped the 30-point mark, as she previously scored a career-high 33 points versus Johnson & Wales earlier this season.

Pine Manor freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) was the only other Gator to join Lynch in double-figures, finishing with 17 points on 6-15 shooting from the floor. Playing in her final home game for the Gators, PMC senior Ashley Reeves (Roxbury, MA), pictures above, scored three points and collected a pair of rebounds.

In the opening minutes of the game it was Pine Manor that held the advantage, as a pair of free throws from Lynch gave PMC an 8-4 advantage five minutes into the contest. Just seconds later, Lauver would knock down her first bucket for the Laser. With Lasell trailing 8-6, sophomore Nikita Soares (Westport, MA) converted an and-one opportunity to push the Lasers in front, at 9-8, with 13:37 to play in the first.

Lasell increased its advantage to five points at 10:58 of the first when sophomore Alexis Chappell (Springfield, MA) and senior Kim Archibald (Lewiston, ME) converted on back-to-back layups 30-seconds apart to give the Lasers an 18-13 advantage.

Chappell finished with a double-double on the afternoon, collecting a game-high 19 rebounds and scoring 16 points. Archibald finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds in her final collegiate game. Lasell freshman Ginella Cola (Lowell, MA) also added 10 points for the Lasers, who finish the season at 10-15 overall and 4-8 in conference play.

The Lasell lead would grow to as many as 13 points late in the first half, but the Gators were able to cut the deficit to single-digits just before the half as Lynch knocked down a layup with 32-seconds remaining to send the teams into the break with Lasell leading 45-36.

Lasell would stretch the lead back to 12 points in the first two minutes of the second half before Pine Manor was able to chip away at the deficit. The Gators pulled within four points of the Lasers with 15:29 remaining, following back-to-back buckets from Lynch that made the score 53-49 in favor of the visitors.

With Pine Manor now within four points, Lasell rattled off a 14-2 run to take a 67-51 led with less than ten minutes to play. The Lasers would stretch the lead to 20 points with seven minutes to go-- largely thanks to Cola who scored all 10 of her points during the Lasell run midway through the second half.

Not content to go quietly, the Gators again rallied to cut the deficit, capitalizing on an 8-0 run to once again pull within single digits, at 75-66, with 4:43 to play. However, Lasell would then close out the game on a 12-1 run to take the 87-67 victory.

With the setback, PMC finishes the regular season with an overall record of 9-13. The Gators now await their fate for the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament which begins next Friday, February 22 at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL.

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) scored a team-high 23 points and classmate Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA) added an additional 21 points to help lead Pine Manor College Women’s Basketball to a 79-68 victory over visiting Fisher College on Wednesday evening at Brunelli Court.

With the win, Pine Manor improves to 9-12 overall, surpassing the Gators’ win total of eight from the 2011-12 season and collecting the most wins by the program since the Gators finished with 11 wins during the 2005-2006 campaign.  With the loss, Fisher finishes the regular season at 1-25 overall.

For Fisher, senior Porsha Grayson (Merced, CA) led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 10-25 from the field. Grayson was joined in double-figures by junior guard Javana Bernard (Waterbury, CT), who finished with 19 points, and sophomore Sabrina Rubaud (Brighton, MA), who recorded a double-double, scoring 10 points and collecting 14 rebounds. Rubuad tied for game-high honors in rebounds with teammate Samantha Maldonado (Hoboken, NJ), who also collected 14.

Pine Manor sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) and senior Ashley Reeves both finished in double-figures with ten points each. Franklin collected a team-high 11 rebounds to record a double-double for the Gators.

Earlier this season, Pine Manor held on to take a 73-72 road victory over Fisher at Fecteau-Leary Gymnasium in Lynn, MA. However, in the opening minutes of the first half, it looked as if Fisher was eager to avenge their loss to the Gators just a month ago. Fisher raced out to a double-digit lead at the midway-point of the first, taking a 19-7 advantage following a layup from Grayson.

Trailing by 12, the Gators responded with a 9-0 run, cutting the deficit to just three-points two minutes later. While a three-pointer from Bernard helped Fisher push the lead back to six just moments later, a pair of three-pointers from Badohu and a layup from Lynch helped gear an 8-2 PMC run and tie the score at 24-all with 5:21 remaining in the first.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Pine Manor would led by no more than five, as Fisher eventually fought back to take a two-point halftime led, at 39-37, thanks to back-to-back buckets from Bernard.

In the second half, the Gators found their groove. Franklin scored less than 30-seconds in to tie the score and Pine Manor was able to open up a double-digit lead thanks to a 10-run midway through the half, eventually leading by as many as 14 points, at 62-48, with 9:40 to play in the second.

From that point forward, Fisher would cut the deficit to single digits just once, at 71-62 with 5:17 remaining, as the Gators cruised to the 79-68 victory.

The Gators shot a blistering 46.9% in the second half to just 28.6% shooting for the Lady Falcons after the break.

The Gators will play their final home game of the regular season this Saturday when they take on Lasell College at 1:00 PM. The game is the final home game for Pine Manor senior Ashley Reeves (Roxbury, MA). She will be recognized in a short ceremony prior to the start of the game.

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Pine Manor sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) scored a team-high 19  points but Pine Manor College Women’s Basketball fell to visiting Emerson College on Thursday evening by a final of 79-68. With the loss Pine Manor drops 8-12 on the season.

Emerson College sophomore Kristin Brice (Indiana, PA) led all-scorers with 23 points while also recording a double-double by collecting 10 rebounds in the contest. Freshman Sienna O’Han (Red Hook, NY) finished with 17 points, while senior Shannon Norton added 12 points and freshman Kelsey Johnson (Syracuse, NY) added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, to go with five blocks, to help the Lions improve to .500 at 11-11 overall.

For Pine Manor, Megan Badohu (Boston, MA), Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) and Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) joined Franklin in double-figures, scoring 14, 12 and 10 points, respectively. Lee also collected 10 rebounds to finish the game with a double-double.

Pine Manor opened the game ice-cold for the field, shooting just 24.4% in the first half. The Gators found themselves in a 10-point hole by the midway point of the first, trailing 18-8. The Emerson lead continued to grow throughout the first half as a pair of free-throws from Brice helped give the Lions a seventeen point advantage, at 35-18, with 2:35 left before the break. However, the Gators then closed out the first on an 8-0 run to enter halftime trailing by just nine at 35-26.

In the second half, Pine Manor cut the deficit to five points in the opening two minutes, as Franklin and Badohu both hit back-to-back layups. However, the Lions would push their lead back to 10 points less than a minute later following another layup from Brice. The Gators had little answer for the six foot forward, as Brice finished the contest 9-17 from the field while also collecting five blocked shots on defense.

Pine Manor again cut the Emerson lead to five with 8:48 remaining in the second half but the Lions would push the difference to double-digits just two minutes later, following a pair of free-throws from Norton. From that point forward, the Lions would close out PMC for the 79-68 victory.

Despite its slow start in the first half, the Gators finished the game at 31.1% from the field as Emerson only outscored Pine Manor 44-42 in the second half. Emerson finished the contest with a 55-44 advantage on the boards, while shooting 41.7% from the field.

Pine Manor’s next game is scheduled for Saturday versus St. Joseph’s College of Brooklyn. Tip-off is 5:00 PM. Emerson will return to action on Saturday as well, they are scheduled to host Fisher at 3:00 PM.

Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Kendrea Walker (New Haven, Conn.) registered her third double-double of the season as the Albertus Magnus women’s basketball team defeated Pine Manor College 73-65 in non-conference action on Tuesday night.Albertus is now 16-5 on the year. With the loss, Pine Manor is 8-11 overall.

Pine Manor was led by Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) with 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Khiyana Isaac (Boston, MA) added 10 points and 11 boards. Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) also had 21 points for the Gators.

Walker finished the night with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while she shot 9-of-16 from the floor to lead the Falcons. Junior Annie Raucci (Milford, Conn.) also led the Falcons as she pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive end. Raucci added eight points, three blocked shots and two steals.

Walker scored eight of her 20 points in the first half, while she also pulled down seven rebounds in the frame. Pine Manor shot just 28.6% from the floor, an 8-of-28 showing in the half.  Both teams struggled from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes of play as the Falcons connected on two of their 10 attempts, while the Gators hit four 3-pointers in 10 tries. Albertus shot 32.5% from the floor in the opening half and went into the break with a 30-29 lead after junior Nicole Acerra (East Haven, Conn.) connected on a free throw with 13 seconds left on the clock before intermission.

The Falcons, who were out-rebounded 26-24 in the half, came out in the second frame and pulled down 31 boards opposed to Pine Manor’s 20.

The Falcons’ largest lead came in the second half with 13:10 to go as they went ahead by 13. Pine Manor battled back to get to within one with 5:41 left on the clock. Albertus used a 10-0 run in a span of 3:32 to extend its one-point lead out to 11 at 71-60.

Pine Manor will return home to face Emerson College on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Albertus will travel to Sage on Thursday, Feb. 7 for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference match-up in Troy, N.Y.

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – University of Saint Joseph (USJ) junior Mary Hyde (Derby, CT) recorded a triple-double, scoring 24 points, collecting 10 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists to lead the visiting Blue Jays to an 81-65 victory over Pine Manor College women’s basketball on Sunday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, MA. With the loss, PMC drops to 8-10 on the season. USJ improves to 12-7 overall.

Hyde was one of five Blue Jays to finish in double-figures. Sophomore Claire Consonni (Bristol, CT) added 12 points off the bench for USJ, while classmates Brianna Ferraro (Waterbury, CT) and Heather Framski (Prospect, CT) added 11 points and 10 points, respectively. Junior Shauna Sullivan (Rocky Hill, CT) finished with 11 points. As a team, USJ shot 47.1 % from the field for the game while collecting 23 assists.

 Pine Manor freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) earned team-high honors for the Gators, scoring 19 points on 6-13 shooting. Lee was a perfect 5-5 from the foul line. Classmates Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) and Megan Badohu (Boston, MA) finished with 14 and 11 points, respectively. PMC sophomore Natasia Franklin collected a game-high 10 rebounds.

USJ opened the game on a 13-3 run, trailing only when Lee put the Gators up 2-0 in the opening minute. Following Pine Manor’s early basket, the Blue Jays held the lead for the remainder of the first half and the game. However, the Gators continued to hang around in the early going, eventually cutting the early USJ lead down to just four points with 3:01 remaining in the first, at 31-27.

 Hyde and Lynch would each score on back-to-back possessions, before a pair of USJ three-pointers on either side of two free-throws from Lee would send the visitors into the break with a 39-31 advantage.

 In the second half, USJ quickly worked to separate itself from the Gators, increasing their lead to 15 points at 13:37 when Devon Diliberto (Waterbury, CT) knocked down a three-pointer to make the score 60-45 in favor of the Blue Jays. The USJ lead would swell to as many as 20 points in the second half as the Blue Jays continued to shoot over 45% from the field. 

 Badohu scored 9 of her 14 points after the break, while Lee knocked down 2-3 three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to rally the Gators past the hot shooting of the Blue Jays as Pine Manor eventually fell by a final score of 81-65.

 Pine Manor will return to action on Tuesday night when they take on Albertus Magnus College at 7:00 PM in New Haven, CT. Saint Joseph will return home to host Anna Maria College, also on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.

Box Score to follow

RANDOLPH CENTER, V.T. -- Pine Manor College Women's Basketball turned in its best defensive effort of the season, holding host Vermont Tech to just 41 points to earn a 51-41 victory and improve their overall record to 8-9 on the season. Vermont Tech drops to 8-12 on the season.

From the very beginning it was obvious the game was going to be a contest decided by defense. Both teams sat back in zone defenses, a 3-2 for Pine Manor and 2-3 for Vermont Tech, goading the other to shoot. The strategies worked for each as the Knights and Gators continuously settled for outside shots and contested inside jumpers. The score at the half was PMC 24, VTC 17.

The Lady Knights came out hard in the second half, jumping on the visitors early. They brought their deficit down to just a single point within the first 2 minutes. Ama Baker (Jr./Fitchburg, MA) and Kelly Vellek (Sr./Burlington, VT) spearheaded the attack. Baker scored 6 and Vellek contributed 2 in an 8-2 run to begin the half. Vellek finished the game leading all scorers with 20.

The Gators, however, threw on a full court press that created quick turnovers and easy baskets. Sybil Lynch hit a three pointer, followed closely by a Natasia Franklin jumper and a Alexis Lee three pointer. Just like that the Pine Manor lead was 9, and they never looked back. Lynch led the Gators in scoring with 12.

At the 12:39 mark in the second period, the Lady Knights' starting point guard Baker fell hard after contact and struggled to get back up. She left the game to be examined by the trainer, and did not return to the contest. She ended the game with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals.

With 3:49 left in the game starting center Paige Wells (So./Orleans, VT) fouled out. The score was 45-38 in favor of the visitors. Wells finished the game second in rebounds, grabbing 8, while the Gators' Franklin pulled down 9 to go with her 10 points.

Without Wells in the lineup, along with already missing Baker, the Knights struggled both on offense and defense. Lee hit on both free throws for Pine Manor to extend their lead to 9, which was all the lead needed for the Gators.

With both teams sitting back in a zone defense, there were extremely few free throws. Pine Manor hit on 4 of 5, while VTC converted on 3 of 6. The biggest difference in the game was in rebounding, as PMC held the 49-37 advantage.

The Knights have no time to rest, as they take to the road to Amherst, MA on Sunday to face Hampshire College. Pine Manor also takes the court again on Sunday, as they host St. Joe's (CT) at their home in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Thanks to Vermont Tech Athletic Communications

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Pine Manor College women’s basketball sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) led all scorers with 28 points, while also collecting a game-high 17 rebounds, but visiting Johnson & Wales University snapped the Gators four-game win streak with an 80-65 victory over PMC on Wednesday evening at Brunelli Court. Pine Manor falls to 7-9 with the setback.

PMC freshman Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA) also recorded a double-double, scoring 12 points on 4-8 shooting while collecting 10 rebounds. While, classmate Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) also added 10 points for the Gators.

Johnson & Wales finished with three scorers in double-figures, as sophomore Nicole DiCocco (Media, PA) led the Wildcats with a team-high 20 points off the bench. Senior Marina Millian (Chester, NY) recorded a double-double, scoring 18 points and collecting 13 rebounds to help JWU improve to 8-11 on the season. Junior guard Jenna Juron (Burnt Hills, NY) added 14 points of her own, scoring 10 in the first half.

 Johnson & Wales took their first lead at 15:23 of the first and never relinquished it for the remainder of the contest. Both teams started off the night cold from the floor, as Pine Manor took a 4-2 lead at 16:15 of the first, following a layup by Khiyana Isaac (Boston, MA). A pair of free-throws from Millian tied the score for JWU, before Juron added a layup to give the visitors the early 6-4 advantage.

 The Gators shot only 25.7% from the field in the first, struggling to find their range but staying within reach of JWU until the Wildcats broke open a double-digit lead, at 28-18, with 4:42 to play in the first. The Wildcat lead would grow to as many as 16 in the closing minute of the first, as a layup from senior Chrissy Toth (Queens, NY) helped JWU take a 38-22 advantage into the break.

 Pine Manor responded in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 43-42, as Franklin poured in 26 of her 28 points after the break. However, the first-half hole proved to be too large for PMC to climb out of, as the Gators would get no closer than within 12 points of the Wildcats for the remainder of the contest.

Pine Manor will return to action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Randolph, VT to take on Vermont Tech. The Gators and Knights met earlier this season, with Pine Manor coming away with a 72-57 home victory. Johnson & Wales will also be in action this Saturday, as they will return home to host conference foe Simmons College at 1:00 PM.

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Pine Manor College freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) scored 13 of her game-high 20 points in the second half to help lead the Gators to 69-51 victory over The College of New Rochelle on Sunday afternoon at Brunelli Court in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Lynch was one of three Gators to finish in double-figures, as classmates Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) and Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA) also added 18 points and 10 points, respectively. PMC sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) finished one point shy of a double-double, scoring nine while also hauling in a game-high 17 rebounds to lead the Gators to their fourth straight victory and help improve Pine Manor’s overall record to 7-8 on the season. With the setback, New Rochelle drops to 7-11 overall.

Early on, it looked like the Blue Angels were in line for their eighth victory of the season. The visitors raced out to an early nine point advantage when a three-pointer by sophomore Alyssa Pechin (Yonkers, NY) capped a 9-0 run and gave New Rochelle a 13-4 advantage with just under fifteen minutes remaining in the first half. New Rochelle continued to hold the lead for the remainder of the first half until Lynch tied the score at 24-all with a layup at 4:48. The teams then traded baskets to make the score 26-26 before back-to-back Blue Angel layups sent New Rochelle into halftime with a 30-26 advantage.

For New Rochelle, Pechin scored all nine of her points in the first half while junior Holly Cammarota (Bronx, NY) added eight of her team-high 13 points before the break. Cammarota tied for team-high honors with freshman Jasmine Brandon (Jersey City, NJ), who recorded a double-double— scoring 13 points of her own while collecting 13 rebounds.

In the second half, Pine Manor engineered an early 9-0 run of its own, scoring the first nine points after the break to take a 36-30 advantage just under five minutes into the second. From there, Pine Manor continued to grow its lead. The Gators took the first double-digit advantage of the game, at 48-38, following a layup by Badohu with 11:02 remaining.

Pine Manor would lead by double-digits for the remainder of the contest as the Gators shot 48.5% from the field after the break, outscoring the Blue Angels 43-21 in the second half.

Back-to-back three-pointers by PMC senior Ashley Reeves (Roxbury, MA), pictured above, helped give the Gators a 14 point advantage with 6:53 to play, as Pine Manor would eventually swell its lead to 18 points to take the 69-51 victory.

The Gators will be back in action tomorrow night when they host Saint Joseph College of Connecticut at 7:00 PM at Brunelli Court. New Rochelle will return to the court on Thursday when they host Albany College of Pharmacy.

Spirit Week: A Limited number of 'Gator Zone' shirts are still available for FREE to fans in attendance at tomorrow nights game vs. St. Joseph CT.

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, MA – Sophomore forward Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) posted a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Pine Manor College women's basketball team to a 67-47 victory over host Wheelock College this evening on Brunelli Court on the campus of Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, MA. The Wildcats, who also play their home games at Pine Manor, fall to 1-15 on the season, while the Gators win their third straight game to improve to 5-8.

The Pine Manor defense held Wheelock to just 27.7% (17-60) shooting, while forcing it into 26 turnovers.

Junior forward Randi Davis (Wilmington, MA) made a layup with 2:45 left in the first half to pull the Wildcats to within 28-24, but the Gators scored the final six points of the half to take a 34-24 halftime cushion.

Pine Manor's momentum carried over into the second half as it scored nine of the first 10 points of the period to increase its lead to 43-25 with 17:02 to go in the game. Six straight points from junior guard Jessica Ramsey (Milford, MA) cut the deficit to 43-31 for Wheelock with 14:33 showing in the second stanza, but the Gators reeled off eight straight points to take a 51-31 advantage. Sophomore center Anastasia Walker (West Springfield, MA) later converted the first end of a pair of free throws to give Pine Manor its largest lead of the night at 61-37 with 5:16 remaining in the contest. The Wildcats scored the next five points, including a three-pointer from Ramsey to make it 61-42 with 3:35 to play, but it would be as close as they would get the rest of the way.

The Gators raced out to a 13-2 lead just over six and a half minutes into the first half, fueled by nine points from Franklin. Pine Manor later maintained a 20-6 margin at the 11:16 mark of the first period, before Wheelock went on a torrid 16-4 run, led by all 12 of Ramsey's first half points, to cut the deficit to 24-22 with 3:51 left in the half.

Franklin was 10-17 from the floor and also added six steals, four assists and a blocked shot to her evening for the Gators. Freshman forward Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) provided the offense from the perimeter with 15 points, including 3-5 from three-point range to go with three boards, four assists and a pair of steals. Freshman guard Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) also contributed with 14 points, three rebounds, five steals and three assists.

Ramsey finished with a team-high 21 points for the Wildcats in addition to five rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes off the bench. Freshman forward Kelsey Becker (Hanover, MA)tied Kayla Drescher's (2009-12) school-record with five blocks and also pulled down 11 rebounds, scored five points, handed out three assists and came up with five steals. Classmate Kate Drummey (Harvard, MA) also chipped in with four points and six rebounds.

Wheelock will be in action again on Saturday, January 26 when it hosts New England Collegiate Conference foe Bay Path College at 1:00 p.m. on Brunelli Court, while Pine Manor returns to action on January 27 to take on College of New Rochelle at 1:00 p.m. also on Brunelli Court.

Pine Manor Basketball will tip-off a week-long Spirit Week this Thursday, January 24, 2013 when they take on Wheelock College at 6:00 p.m. at Pine Manor Gymnasium. Gator fans will have the chance to take home a FREE Limited Edition PMC Gator Zone T-Shirt (while supplies last) at upcoming Pine Manor Basketball games at Pine Manor Gym. In addition, PMC Spirit Week will also feature the opportunity for all fans to take part in free raffles and contests to win Gator gear and other prizes:

Thursday, January 24 at 6 PM vs. Wheelock: Come cheer on the Gators while they take on Wheelock!

Sunday January 27 at 6 PM vs. New Rochelle: PMC fans can grab a Gator Zone t-shirt (while supplies last) during our pre-game giveaway and Sunday's contest will feature a halftime free throw contest for two PMC students in attendance and a free raffle for all fans.

Monday January 28 at 7 PM vs. Saint Joseph CT: Monday is Green and White Day, all fans wearing green and white will be eligible to enter and win a free raffle. There will also be a halftime contest for two students in attendance.

Wednesday January 30 at 6 PM vs. Johnson & Wales: Crazy Hat Day will cap off Spirit Week, all fans in attendance wearing crazy hats will be eligible to win the raffle for this game.

A limited number of t-shirts will be given away at Sunday, Monday and Wednesday's games (while supplies last).

For more information and updates, continue to follow PMC Atheltics online at pmc.edu/athletics and on Facebook at facebook.com/PMCAthletics.

LYNN, Mass. -- Pine Manor College held on to take a 73-72 road victory over Fisher College on Wednesday evening at Fecteau-Leary Gymnasium in Lynn, MA. The win helps the Gators improve to 5-8 on the season and gives Pine Manor back-to-back victories for the first time since early December when they topped Lesley and Newbury in consecutive road contests. 

Pine Manor sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) led the way for the Gators, scoring a game-high 23 points and collecting a game-high 21 rebounds. Javanna Bernard (Waterbury, CT) scored a team-high 20 points for the Lady Falcons.

The teams played a tightly contested first half, with Fisher heading into the break with a 33-30 lead over the Gators. In the second half, Fisher continued to hold the lead for much of the half but was unable to put away Pine Manor. With time winding down  Fisher senior Porsha Grayson (Merced, CA) knocked down a jumper with 29 seconds to play to give Fisher a 72-71 lead.  However, two Pine Manor free throws from Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) with seven seconds to play gave Pine Manor the final lead at 73-72. Lee finished with 12 points for PMC.

The Gators will return to action next Thursday, January 24 when they take on Wheelock College at Pine MAnor Gym at 6:00 p.m. The Lady Falcons will host Albany Pharmacy on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. Fisher will also travel to Pine Manor later this season for their regular season finally on February 13.

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Pine Manor College sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) led all scorers with a game-high 24 points on 9-15 shooting to lead the Gators to 72-57 victory over visiting Vermont Tech during a Sunday matinee at Pine Manor Gymnasium.

Franklin was joined in double-figures by freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH), who contributed 13 points to go along with three assists. With the win, Pine Manor improves to 4-8 overall and 2-2 during the spring semester. Vermont Tech drops to 6-8 with the loss, their eighth in a row since opening the season 6-0.

Pine Manor used a strong first half to distance itself from the Knights. The Gators lead by as many as 18 during the opening session, including at halftime when the Gators took a 41-23 advantage into the break.

The Gators used an early 9-2 run to open up an 11-4 advantage three minutes into the contest. A three-pointer by PMC senior Ashley Reeves (Roxbury, MA) gave the Gators a 14-8 advantage with 13:41 to play in the first, but a pair of Vermont Tech baskets by Paige Wells (Orleans, VT) and Kelly Vellek (Burlington, VT) cut the deficit to just two a minute later. Wells finished with a double-double for the Knights, scoring 16 points and collecting 16 rebounds. Vellek finished with a team-high 18 points, shooting 4-10 from beyond the arc. Junior Ama Baker (Fitchburg, MA) also finished in double figures for Vermont Tech with 17 points.

The Gators then responded with an 18-2 run, capped by a layup from Lee with 4:40 to play in the first, to take a 32-14 advantage. Vellek then scored the next 8 Vermont Tech points to help pull the visitors back to within 12 at 35-23 with 1:58 to go before the half. However, back-to-back Pine Manor buckets and a Gator free throw helped send the hosts into the break with the 41-23 advantage.

In the second half, Pine Manor extended its lead to a 23-point advantage, the biggest margin of the game; following a Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA) layup that gave the Gators a 46-23 lead with just over 18 minutes remaining. From that point, Pine Manor led comfortably throughout, as Vermont Tech was only able to cut the lead to single digits with 3:10 to play when Wells made the score 62-53.

Leading by only single digits for the first time since the 8:22 mark of the first, the Gators responded with a layup by Lee followed by back-to-back layups from Franklin to push the lead back to 15 points, at 68-53. Lee and Franklin would each then sink a pair of free throws to help Pine Manor complete the 72-57 victory.

The Gators will be back in action on Wednesday night when they take on Fisher College at 6:00 p.m. in Lynn, MA. Vermont Tech will also be in action at 6:00 pm on Wednesday as they will return home to face U. Maine – Machias.

Cummings led all players in scoring with 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.  She also had 8 rebound, 3 assists, a block and a steal in 39 minutes of play. Pryor scored a career-high 20 points, shooting 4-for-6 from three point range, grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out two assists. Alison McCarthy (Lynn, MA) raked in 6 assists, 8 points, 7 boards and had 3 key blocks, while teammate Samantha Parker had a team-high nine boards off the bench.

The AMCATS’ starting five came out of the gates producing. Pryor led the team in scoring for the half with 10 points. Senior guard Alison McCarthy, dished out a half high four assists and picked up four points and two blocks.  Cummings, a junior forward, shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, grabbed three boards, and two assists. Junior guard Taylor Walker (Winchendon, MA) led the team in rebounds, snagging five off the glass and also scoring 6 points.

The Gators’ had some players step up to meet the challenge. Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA), a freshman guard for the Gators, seemed to be all over the court, notching 14 points, 9 from behind the arc, and grabbing 7 rebounds. Another freshman for the Gators, forward Alexis Lee (Akron, OH), helped her teammate out on the scoreboard by hitting two threes on her way to 9 points and three assists for the half.

At the end of the first half Pine Manor led Anna Maria 31-30.

Pine Manor’s 3 point shooting cooled off in the second half, but they still opened up an early 6 point lead at 42-36 with 16 minutes to play. Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) built off of her first half success, pulling down rebounds and scoring hoops on her way to 19 points and 7 boards for the game. Badohu finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The AMCATS battled back, first tying the game at 42-all with a 6-0 run and then built a 9 point lead at 55-46 with 8:01 to play.  Anna Maria used a balanced scoring attack with Cummings, Parker and McCarthy each pitching in 4 points in the run.

The Gators’ responded with a run of their own and with a jumper by Badohu at 3:22 had taken a 61-60 lead, PMC pushed the lead to 65-60 with 2:49 to play, however Pine Manor wouldn’t score again. Anna Maria’s Parker and Cummings scored the games remaining seven points.

With seven seconds left, Cummings was on the foul line with two shots and the game knotted at 65. She sank both, giving the AMCATS a two point lead. Pine Manor ran a play and got a shot off, but it fell short of its mark.

NEWTON, Mass. -- A 14-2 Mount Ida run late in the second half helped to break open a tight contest and give the host Mustangs an 87-76 victory over visiting Pine Manor on Thursday evening at the Mount Ida College Athletic Center in Newton, MA. With the result, Pine Manor drops to 3-7 overall while Mount Ida improves to 6-6 overall.

Mount Ida senior Evebonee Acosta (Hartford, CT) led all scorers with a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds, scoring 17 of her game-high total in the first half. Acosta helped Mount Ida get out to an 8-0 lead in the opening minute of the game before Pine Manor got on the board thanks to a pair of free-throws by freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ). Lynch finished with 14 points for the Gators while sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) scored a team-high 18 points.

Mount Ida swelled its early advantage to 13-6 at the 16:27 mark of the first before the Gators pieced together a 6-0 run to make the contest 13-12 following a layup by Franklin at 15:25. The teams then exchanged baskets, with neither side able to take a lead greater than two points until PMC sophomore Anastasia Walker (West Springfield, MA) gave the Gators a 24-21 lead midway through the first. Another layup by Franklin gave the Gators a five point advantage seconds later but Pine Manor's first half lead would grow no greater than six points, following a three-pointer by Lynch at 6:12. 

Mount Ida continued to hang around and eventually pieced together an 11-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from sophomore Allison O'Connor (Leominster, MA) with 2:43 to play before the break. A pair of Pine Manor buckets from freshmen Khiyana Isaac (Boston, MA) and Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA) tied the score at 41-all. However, Mount Ida would close out the half with a layup by Leslie Campbell (Quincy, MA) to take a 43-41 advantage at the half.

Pine Manor opened the second half with back-to-back three pointers by Lynch and freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH), taking a 47-43 advantage just 44 seconds after the break. However, with PMC leading 49-45, Mount Ida used three straight baskets to regain the lead at 52-49 with 17:11 remaining. Lee finished the game with 14 points for the Gators.

The teams then continued to go back and forth just as they had in the first half. A 56-51 Mount Ida lead was the biggest advantage that either team would gain until the Mustangs were able to separate themselves with a 14-2 run late in the second, capped by a a pair of free throws by Jenn Rafuse (Brockton, MA), that gave the Mustangs an 85-71 advantage with just under three minutes to play. From there Mount Ida cruised to the 87-76 victory.

Pine Manor will return to action on Saturday when they travel to Paxton, MA to take on Anna Maria College at 1:00 p.m. Mount Ida will also return to the court this Saturday when they host Norwich at 1:00 p.m.

Box Score

BENNINGTON, Vt. –Pine Manor College opened 2013 with an 80-67 victory over Southern Vermont College on Sunday afternoon at the Mountaineer Athletic Center in Bennington, VT.

The Mountaineers came out running and took a quick 7-1 lead over the Gators, however that margin would be squandered in a matter of minutes as PMC closed the gap and took an 11-10 lead after two Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, N.J.) free throws. SVC responded with a 3-pointer by freshman captain Amber Flagg (Windsor, Conn.); she hit a pull-up jumper soon after to give the Mountaineers a 15-11 edge. Southern Vermont was able to benefit from working the ball low as freshman forward Kala MacKenzie(Fair Haven, Vt.) found quality looks to put down 11 points in the first half.

Pine Manor refused to allow the game to get out of hand and battled back with 3-pointers of its own and converted free throws. Gator freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, Ohio) made three of her seven shots from beyond the arc in the opening period and then made a free throw to close the half with PMC up 31-30.

SVC started the second half with a 14-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from sophomore captain Jyline Varin(Sharon Springs, N.Y.) to take a 43-31 advantage. Lynch put the Gators back in scoring mode with a long-range shot of her own as PMC chipped away at the deficit, eventually tying the game 52-52 with a Natasia Franklin (Windsor, Conn.) layup at the 8:12 mark.

The Gators took a momentary lead, but two free throws by freshman Mariah Anthony (Northfield, Mass.) tied it back at 54 each. Lee came back with a 3-pointer, and Pine Manor never looked back; she knocked down 12 points in the final 6:17 of the game to give PMC the 80-67 victory.

Lee finished with a game-high 28 points, 18 coming in the second half; she also had five rebounds and five assists on the day. Lynch followed with 16 points while Franklin recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Flagg and MacKenzie each had 19 points for the Mountaineers, and Anthony finished with 10 of her own. MacKenzie notched her third-straight double-double with a game-high 16 rebounds. Flagg also grabbed four steals on the day while freshman forwardSarah McDonald(Cohoes, N.Y.) had eight rebounds, seven points and a pair of blocks.

The Mountaineers (1-8, 1-1 NECC) return to New England Collegiate Conference action on Tuesday with an 8 p.m. tip at Daniel Webster College, and Pine Manor (3-6) travels to Mt. Ida College on Thursday for a 5 p.m. meeting.

Thanks to Southern Vermont Athletic Communications

PMC freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) also added 20-points for the Gators on 7-13 shooting, including 5-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Classmate Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) added 11 points to finish as the only other Gator in double-figures.

Bard was led by a team-high 19 points from freshman Bianka Bell (Stamford, CT) as well as a pair of double-doubles from freshman Tytravia Riley (Miami, FL) and sophomore Liz Freud (Dover, DE). Riley finished with a game-high 20 rebounds to go along with 14 points, while Freud added 13 points and 11 boards for the Raptors. Senior guard Imani Jones (Brooklyn, NY) also finished in double-figures with 14 points.

Pine Manor took a 34-32 advantage into the break, storming back from an early deficit at the hands of the Raptors. Trailing by nine points with 6:18 to play in the first, the Gators put together back-to-back baskets to close the gap to 26-22, following a lay-up by Franklin with 4:33 remaining in the first.

A jumper by Jones extended the Bard lead to 28-22 before Lee knocked down a three-pointer and Franklin added another lay-up to cut the deficit to one at 28-27. Riley then added a pair of free-throws for the Raptors, but Lee once again responded by knocking down a three for PMC, tying the game for the first time since the opening minute at 30-all. A pair of buckets in the final two minutes helped Pine Manor take the halftime advantage.

Bard wasted little time taking back the lead in the second half. The visitors tied the score just 47 seconds into the period, kicking off on a 10-0 run to take a 42-34 advantage. The Raptors would hold the lead for the remainder of the second half, leading by as many as 15 points at the 13:33 mark. Riley led the charge for the Raptors, scoring 12 of her 14 points after the break.

The Gators would close the gap to as small as six points on three occasions but were never able to get past Bard, eventually dropping the 74-64 decision.

Bard has one more game before semester break, as the Raptors will host Purchase College next Saturday at 2:00 PM. Pine Manor will return to action in 2013 when they travel to take on Southern Vermont on Sunday January 6 at 1:00 PM.

BOSTON, Mass. -- Trailing 42-29 at halftime, Pine Manor rallied to take a 74-72 lead with 4:39 to play but the Gators were unable to hang on, dropping a 78-74 decision to Simmons College at the the Holmes Sports Center on Saturday afternoon.

The win is the first of the season for Simmons, improving their overall record to 1-5. Pine Manor drops to 2-5 overall with the setback, finishing a string of five consecutive road games with a record of 2-3. 

Pine Manor freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) scored a game-high 20 points. Sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) and freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) each added 16 points for the Gators. Lee scored 14 of her 16 in the second half, knocking down three three-pointers to help fuel the Gator rally. 

Simmons senior Liz O'Connor (Milton, MA) scored a team-high 18 points for the Sharks while Olivia LaCroix (Manchester, NH) recording 15 points and added six assists.

Pine Manor outscored Simmons 45-36 in the second half. Lee knocked down back-to-back three pointers to tie the contest at 60-all with 9:18 to play. She then gave the Gators a 63-60, adding a two-point jumper and a made free throw on the next two Pine Manor possessions.

Simmons then battled back as the teams exchanged baskets before becoming deadlocked at 72 following a jumper by Simmons junior Hannah May (Hamden, CT).

PMC freshman Meagan Badohu put the Gators ahead, 74-72, for the final with 4:18 remaining. However, Simmons would tie the score, at 74-74, with just under four minutes to play when Georgia Kostopoulos (Cambridge, MA) scored on a put-back after collecting an offensive rebound during the Sharks next possession. 

After a Pine Manor turnover at 3:39, O'Connor hit a jump shot to give the Sharks the lead, 76-74. O'Connor then added another bucket with :48 seconds to play to secure a 78-74 Simmons victory.

Pine Manor will close out the first semester tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM when they host Bard at Brunelli Court. 

Leicester, Mass. --- Junior forward Tatiana Mojica (Worcester, Mass.) had 18 points and 15 rebounds as host Becker College defeated Pine Manor College, 63-59, for their first win of the season on Thursday night in non-conference women’s basketball action at the Leicester Gym. The Hawks of Becker are now 1-6 while the Gators of Pine Manor drop to 2-4.

Down by two with 1:45 remaining in the game, Becker junior guard Haley Ooms (Valatie, N.Y.) found sophomore guardVanusa Varela(Boston, Mass.) open for a huge baseline jumper to tie the game at 59-59. Just under a minute later, Ooms passed to Varela again at nearly the exact spot as the Hawks regained the lead. After a missed Pine Manor three-pointer, Ooms hit Varela once more for the insurance basket, and that was the game.

Ooms finished with 13 points and a career-high 15 assists along with two steals, playing all forty minutes of the game. All six of Varela’s points came when the Hawks needed them the most, and the sophomore chipped in six boards. Freshman forwardGabrielle Gallo(Northport, N.Y.) contributed 14 points a career-high 18 rebounds.

Freshman forward Alexis Lee (Akron, Ohio) had a game-high 23 points for Pine Manor, with five three-pointers, four rebounds and four assists. Sophomore forward Natasia Franklin (Windsor, Conn.) contributed 16 points, five steals, four rebounds and three assists. Freshman guard Sybil Lynch (Hoboken. N.J.) added 11 points while freshman guard Meagan Badohu(Boston, Mass.) had an incredible defensive performance with seven steals.

After falling behind early in the game, the Hawks embarked an 8-0 run to take a 10-6 lead just five minutes into the game, capped off with a layup from Ooms. Becker would continue to cling to the lead through the remainder of the first half, going ahead by as much as nine after another layup by Ooms with 5:43 remaining in the opening period. The Gators cut it to four at the buzzer off a fast-break layup from Lee, and both teams headed to the locker rooms with the Hawks ahead 32-28. Mojica led all scorers with 11 points and nine rebounds in the first half while Lee finished with nine points for the visitors. Becker dominated the boards, 30-14, while Pine Manor scored 11 points off 14 Hawk turnovers.

The second period saw more of the same for both teams. Becker often dominated inside but struggled to hold onto the ball in the face of constant trap pressure from Pine Manor. The Gator finally tied the game at 55-55 with 5:30 left in the game. A three-pointer by Lee cut it to one and a free throw from freshman guard Khiyana Isaac (Boston, Mass.) tied it for Pine Manor for the first time since the opening minutes of the game. A minute later, Lee hit another triple and suddenly the visitors had taken the lead at 58-57. It was all part of an electrifying 21-8 run that had the Hawks searching for answers. That set the table for Varela’s heroics.

Becker hits the road when the Hawks travel to Wheelock College on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. game. Pine Manor travels to Simmons College, also on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Thanks to Becker College Athletic Communications

Lee, Pine Manor’s leading scorer at 19.5 PPG, helped the Gators to a 2-1 record last week. She scored 16 points and collected a team-high four assists in a 76-75 OT loss to Bay Path on Wednesday. The next night, she contributed 12 points and a game-high six assists to help the Gators rebound with a 75-57 road win over Lesley. Lee then capped off the week with a game-high 30-point, four assist performance to give PMC its second straight road victory over Newbury, 74-71, on Saturday. For the week, Lee averaged 19.3 points per game.

Lee becomes the first Pine Manor women's basketball basketball player and the second Gator all-time to earn a GSAC Player of the Week Award.

To view the official release from the GSAC, click here.

 The GSAC sports information directors nominate Player of the Week candidates and then vote on the top two nominees in each sport as selected by the conference office. Player of the Week voting occurs on Tuesdays and the weekly announcement of the winners is released each Wednesday morning.

QUINCY, Mass.-- Pine Manor women’s basketball dropped a 67-55 decision to Eastern Nazarene on Monday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center in Quincy, MA. With the win, the Lions improve to 5-2 on the season.

Pine Manor sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) scored a game-high 15 points in the loss. While, Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) added 14 more for the Gators, who drop to 2-3 on the season with the loss.

Senior Mel Green (Annapolis, MD) led the way with a double-double for Eastern Nazarene as she recorded 13 points and 12 boards. Classmate Shardae Brown (Waterbury, CT) also registered a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Eastern Nazarene claimed an early 7-4 lead before Pine Manor rallied to grab a 10-9 edge. The Lions recaptured the lead with 14:22 remaining as Green banked in a lay-up, 13-12.

The Gators once again battled back to tie the score at 26-26 asLynch drained a three-pointer from the left wing.

The home team responded with six unanswered points to move ahead 32-26 with 4:37 left to play in the first half.

A lay-in by Tyshay Montgomery (Woodlawn, MD) with 1:26 on the clock gave Eastern Nazarene its largest lead of the opening stanza, 36-28.

At the half, Eastern Nazarene held onto a seven-point advantage, 38-31.

The Lions shot 43.2% in the opening frame, including 25% from beyond the arc. The Gators owned a field-goal percentage of 38.7 at the break to go with 33.3% shooting from long distance.

Eastern Nazarene stretched the margin to double-digits for the first time on the night with 6:53 left to play in regulation as Green knocked down another lay-up, 59-48.

The Lions owned the glass down the stretch to preserve the victory. Eastern Nazarene hauled in four offensive boards in the final two minutes which allowed the team to drain the clock. Eastern Nazarene sported a 60-43 advantage in rebounds while also forcing 20 turnovers.

Pine Manor shot 30.0% from the floor in the game and 28.6% from behind the arc but the Gators were unable to make-up the first half deficit and suffered their first road defeat of the season.

The Lions will return to the court January 2 to take on UMass-Dartmouth in a non-conference bout at 6 pm. Pine Manor will be back in action on Thursday night when they travel to take on Becker at 6:00 PM.

Special Thanks to Eastern Nazarene Athletic Communications 

Box Score

BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Pine Manor freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH), above left, scored a game-high 30 points, while classmate Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ), above right, added an additional 13 points to lead the Gators to a 74-71 victory over neighboring Newbury College on Saturday afternoon at Pappas Gymnasium in Brookline, MA. With the win the Gators improve to 2-2 on the season. Newbury drops to 2-4 on the season with the loss.

Lee and Lynch finished as the only two Pine Manor players in double-figures in a contest that was tightly contested throughout. Lee was the story in the first half, helping Pine Manor to take a 29-24 advantage into the locker room at the break. Lee scored 16 of her 30 points in the first half, converting eight of ten from the free throw line while shooting 3-4 from the floor and knocking down a pair of three-pointers. 

Newbury outscored the Gators in the second half, thanks in large part to Alex Pezzella's 18 second half points, Pezzella finished with a tea-high 22 points off the bench for the Nighthawks. However, the Gators were able to keep pace as Lee continued to get to the free throw line and add to the Pine Manor total. Lee finished 18-24 from the line. Newbury finished 21-40 as a team. Lynch added 11 of her 13 points in the second half to help PMC hang on for the 74-71 victory.

Newbury, who lost their second game in row by three-points, will look to regroup on Tuesday evening when they host Daniel Webster. Pine Manor will return to action on Monday night when they face Eastern Nazarene College at 6:00 PM in Quincy, MA. 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Pine Manor College sophomore forward Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) scored a career-high 27 points, and four other Gators finished in double-figures, to help Pine Manor earn a 75-57 victory over Lesley University at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School on Thursday evening. The win, Pine Manor's first of the season, improves the Gators to 1-2 early in the season. Lesley is now 0-4 on the year.

Franklin scored 17 of her 27 points in the first half to help the Gators take a 40-25 halftime advantage. The Lynx got out to an early advantage, leading the Gators until the 10:43 mark of the first half when PMC freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) made a layup to give the Gators a 16-14 lead. Lee finished the game with 12 points for Pine Manor. She was joined in double-figures by fellow freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) and Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA) who scored 13 and 11 points respectively. Badohu finished with the games only double-double, as she also collected 10 rebounds in the game. PMC senior Ashley Reeves (Roxbury, MA) added 11 points off the bench.

A pair of layups and a free throw by Lesley's Grace Amato then helped the Lynx regain the lead at 19-18 at 9:25 of the first half. From that point forward Pine Manor would go on a 17-0 run, capped by a layup from Lee with 2:27 remaining in the opening session, to take a 35-19 lead. Amato scored a team-high 16 points for Lesely.

In the second half, Lesley would cut the Pine Manor lead to five points, at 46-41, with 14:47 remaining. However, the hosts would get no closer for the remainder of the contest as Pine Manor stretched its lead back to a comfortable advantage before coming away with the 75-57 victory. 

The Gators will be back in action on Saturday when they face local rival Newbury College at noon. The game will be the third in four days for the Gators. Meanwhile, Lesley will host Fisher College on Sunday at 1:00 PM, still in search of their first victory of the season. 

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Bay Path junior Kayla Skiffington (East Longmeadow, MA) led all players with 27 points, while collecting 12 rebounds, while classmate Justine Hook (Berwick, PA) added 22 points of her own to lead the visiting Wildcats to a 76-75 overtime victory over Pine Manor on Wednesday evening at Brunelli Court in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Pine Manor sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, CT) collected a game-high 21 rebounds while adding a team-high 18 points for the Gators, but Pine Manor was unable to put away the Wildcats despite leading by as many as 20 points during the second half. Three other Pine Manor players finished in double-figures alongside Franklin, as freshmen Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) and Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) each finished with 16 points, while freshman Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA) also recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points to go along with 13 rebounds.

With Pine Manor leading 42-32 at the start of the second half, the Gators continued to add on. Pine Manor’s lead swelled to 20 points following an ‘and-one’ play by Franklin with 14:43 remaining in the second-half. However, from that point forward Bay Path slowly chipped away at the Pine Manor deficit, eventually cutting the lead to single digits at the 6:50 mark when Skiffington converted on the second of two free-throws.

The Wildcats and Gators then traded baskets for the next two-minutes, until Bay Path was able to string together three consecutive shots to take a 65-64 lead following an ‘and-one’ conversion  by Skiffington with 1:25 remaining. A layup by Badohu gave Pine Manor the lead again just 12 seconds later but PMC’s lead was short lived as Hook nailed the second of two free-throws to tie the game at 66 with :36 seconds to play. The Gators got the final chance in regulation but a jumper by Badohu found only iron, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra-session, neither team was able to establish a lead greater than two points, as the score remained tied throughout much of the period. Skiffington gave Bay Path a two-point advantage to start overtime but Lee quickly responded to tie the game again in the opening minute. A pair of free-throws by Badohu then put Pine Manor ahead, before Skiffington evened the score at 70-all with 2:03 to play. The teams then traded two-pairs of layups, bring the score to 74-74 with just under a minute remaining.

The Wildcats took the final lead with :29 seconds remaining when a PMC foul allowed Bay Path sophomore Katherine Chabot (Brookfield, MA) to sink two free-throws and give the visitors a 76-74 advantage. However, the Gators would get their chance at the line just seconds later but freshman Khiyana Isaac (Boston, MA) would only sink one-of-two to make the score 76-75.

Determined to fight back, Pine Manor then forced a turnover in the dying seconds of the game but Lee was unable to convert on a runner in the lane as time expired, giving Bay Path the 76-75 victory.

Pine Manor will be back in action tomorrow night when they take on local rival Lesley University at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA at 8:00 PM. Bay Path will play again this weekend when they travel to Albertus Magnus College for a 3:00 pm tip-off versus Albertus Magnus.

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Pine Manor College women’s basketball kicked off its 2012-13 season on Saturday, dropping a 74-50 decision to visiting Wentworth Institute of Technology at Brunelli Court in Chestnut Hill, MA. With the win, Wentworth moves to 1-1 on the season, while Pine Manor opens the year 0-1.

Wentworth never trailed in the contest after opening the game on a 10-1 run. Four Wentworth starters finished the contest in double figures, led by senior Jordan Biggar (Beverly, MA) who finished the game with a team-high 14 points. Junior Kendra Kerr (Marshfield, MA) finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points while collecting a game-high 14 rebounds. Senior Ashley Conway (Danvers, MA) and junior Ashley Stowe (Voluntown,CT) finished with 13 and 12 points respectively.

Pine Manor closed the gap to as few as two points, at 20-18, after freshman Alexis Lee (Akron, OH) made back-to-back shots with just less than six minutes remaining in the first half. However, the Gators would get no closer for the remainder of the contest as Wentworth would stretch the lead back to ten points, at 30-20, by halftime. Lee finished the contest with a game-high 20 points for PMC.

In the second half, the visitors would continue to increase their lead. Wentworth led by as many as 33 points following a jumper by Biggar with 4:16 to play. The Leopards held a commanding 47-21 rebounding advantage in the game, while also collecting 17 assists as a team.

For Pine Manor, freshman Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, NJ) also finished in double figures with 14 points, as she was one of five Pine Manor freshman, along with Lee, Khiyana Isaac ( Boston, MA), Meagan Badohu (Boston, MA), and Shaniesha Williams (Jamaica Plain, MA) to make their collegiate debut on Saturday.

Wentworth will take on Emerson College on Tuesday November 20 at 7:00 p.m. before heading home for the Thanksgiving break. Pine Manor will be back in action following the holiday when they host Bay Path College at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday November 28.

She also lead the team in rebounding at 11.2 RPG and had a team-high 70 blocked shots and 60 steals. She was also named the conference player of the week for the week of February 20, 2012 after helping the Gators split their two conference games this week, scoring a game-high 21 points in a loss to Johnson & Wales before scoring 12 points and collecting a game-high 17 rebounds - including the 500th rebound of her career - during Pine Manor's 65-63 win over Simmons. She then recorded a 16 point and 16 rebound double-double, her fourteenth of the season, in the Gators final game of the season, a 72-65 loss to Me. - Fort Kent.