MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – After opening a double-digit lead in the first quarter, the Wesleyan women's basketball team saw the Clark Cougars battle back but it proved not enough as the Cardinals head into Thanksgiving break with a 67-60 victory on Tuesday night from Silloway Gymnasium. Wesleyan (4-1) are winners of four straight games for the first time since starting the 2019-20 season with a 6-0 record, while the Cougars (2-3) loss their second straight game.
 
Abby Gray '24 continues to excel early in the campaign as the junior scored a career-high 16 points while grabbing 12 rebounds in 34 minutes for her first career double-double. Tori DaCosta '25 also recorded a double-double, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes as the sophomore forward has three double-doubles through five games this season. DaCosta also blocked five shots, establishing a new career-high.
 
Locking down on the defensive end in the early going, Wesleyan held Clark to just 2-of-16 shooting in the first quarter while scoring seven of their 18 points in the quarter from the free throw line to establish an 18-8 lead after one. After the Cougars scored the first two points of the game, the Cardinals responded with 11 unanswered points that stretched to a 14-1 run.
 
After Maggie Lee's '23 jumper put Wesleyan ahead by 12, the Cougars began to fight back and only needed about two minutes to ride a 10-1 run that closed the deficit back down to just three. Wesleyan's lead later lowered to just one point with 3:13 remaining in the first half but DaCosta converted a three-point play on the next possession to pull momentum back and help the Cardinals reestablish a 34-28 lead at the break.
 
Nearly three minutes into the third quarter, Lee swished a triple in transition that made it 44-34 in favor of the Cardinals. Clark lowered the deficit to five points twice in the quarter but another three-point play, this time from Gray late in the frame, made it 57-48 Wesleyan heading into the fourth.
 
Both sides struggled to get much offense going in the fourth, with Wesleyan and Clark each hitting on under 25 percent of their attempts in the quarter. Clark would only get to within six points of the lead before Olivia Quinn '26 converted a bucket in the paint to stretch the Cardinal lead to double digits before ultimately closing out the 67-60 win.
 
As a team, Wesleyan grabbed 54 rebounds (17 offensive) compared to just 42 for the Cougars, holding a +12 advantage on the boards. The 54 rebounds as a team is the most for the Cardinals in a game since totaling 55 at Skidmore on November 23, 2021.
 
Lee hit double figures, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting, while she added six rebounds, four assists and two steals in a solid all-around performance. Quinn totaled eight points and seven rebounds while Jones dished out a career-high seven assists.
 
Jacqueline Faulise led the Cougars with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists but struggled from the floor, going just 5-of-14 overall. Julianne Liebow came off the bench to score 14 while Alaina Schatzabel tallied 12 points and nine rebounds.
 
After the Thanksgiving break, the Cardinals are back in action on the road with a trip to Rhode Island College on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM.