MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – There was very little doubt in the outcome of the Wesleyan women's basketball's home opener, as the Cardinals dispatched the Fitchburg State Falcons 71-27 on Saturday afternoon from Silloway Gymnasium. The Cardinals move to 2-1 on the season, picking up their second straight win, while Fitchburg State falls to 1-3.
 
In what was the opening game of the 2022 Courtyard by Marriott Classic, the Cardinals took control right from the opening tip, building a 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter before taking a 41-12 lead into halftime.
 
Wesleyan shot 26-for-64 (40.6 percent) as a team while all 11 Cardinals that saw the floor scored at least one point while nine of those 11 netted at least six points in the 44-point victory.
 
Olivia Quinn '26 led the Cardinals in scoring with 12 points (4-10 FG, 2-3 3FG) while Maggie Lee '23 pumped in nine points with four steals. Alana Jones '24 tallied seven points with five assists, four rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes while Abby Gray '24 stuffed the stat sheet with five points, 11 rebounds, career-high seven assists, and two stelas in just 23 minutes.
 
The Cardinals were the aggressor right from the jump, scoring 13 unanswered points from the opening possession, holding the Falcons scoreless for the first 4:25 of play. Just two made field goals was all Fitchburg State could muster in the opening frame, as a Quinn three-pointer capped a 24-6 advantage for the Cardinals after one.
 
It was much of the same in the second quarter as Wesleyan outscored Fitchburg State 17-6 in the frame to build a 29-point halftime lead. The Falcons were held scoreless for nearly seven minutes of action, as their first field goal of the second quarter didn't come until there was 6:13 remaining.
 
The second half was more of the same, as Wesleyan limited the Falcons to just two made field goals and under 20 percent shooting for the third straight quarter, while the Cardinals put up another 22 points to lead 63-20 heading into the fourth.
 
As a team, Wesleyan forced 28 Fitchburg State turnovers which converted into a 29-7 advantage for the Cardinals in terms of points off turnovers. Fast break points was entirely one-sided as Wesleyan put up 30 points on the fast break compared to 0 for the Falcons.
 
The Cardinals will next host Worcester State on Sunday at 3:00 PM in the final game of the Courtyard by Marriott Classic. The Lancers defeated Rivier 73-65 in the nightcap on Saturday.