MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Playing in her final regular season home game,
Brooke Guiffre '23 exploded for 22 second half points on her way to a career-high 32, leading the Wesleyan women's basketball team to a 74-73 victory over Hamilton on Saturday afternoon from Silloway Gymnasium. The Cardinals (10-10, 3-3 NESCAC) sweep a home NESCAC weekend for the first time since 2013 while the Continentals (10-9, 3-4 NESCAC) drop their second straight.
One day removed from matching her career-high with 23 points in a win over Amherst on Friday night, Guiffre responded with the most points scored by a Cardinal since Olivia Gorman '17 tied the single-game scoring record with 35 points against Trinity on January 14, 2017. Guiffre's 32-point performance came on 11-for-15 shooting overall and 6-for-7 from three. Adding to what was already a career game, Guiffre matched her career-high with six steals to go along with five assists and just one turnover in 39 minutes.
A high-scoring, back-and-forth first quarter saw neither team lead by more than four points as the two sides both shot north of 50 percent from the floor. After
Tori DaCosta '25 converted a tough finish to give Wesleyan a 22-17 lead, Hamilton made their move and a 7-0 run gave the Continentals a 24-22 lead early in the second.
That scoring run was answered back with a 7-0 Cardinal run, capped by a Guiffre three-pointer from the wing in transition. Now leading by five, Wesleyan only scored four points for the final 5:05 of the quarter, allowing the Continentals to go on a 10-4 run that gave the visitors a 34-33 halftime lead.
Hamilton's defense continued to put the clamps on, keeping the Cardinals scoreless for the first 2:26 into the third quarter, but the Continentals couldn't take full advantage, scoring just two points in that span to open the second half.
The visitors took a 43-38 lead, their largest of the game, midway through the third but Guiffre went on a 7-0 on her own to cut the deficit and the Cardinals retook the lead on an
Olivia Quinn '26 drive to the basket.
With one quarter remaining and just one point separating the two sides, it was Guiffre time in the fourth as the senior scored 12 of her 32 points in the final quarter alone. It was Guiffre's deep three-pointer that started a crucial 7-0 run that took a one-point Cardinal lead and made it 63-55 with 5:40 remaining.
Hamilton worked their way back in the game, trailing by just two with 1:59 left, but Guiffre came up with a steal on the next Continental possession and
Maggie Lee '23 hit a floater to make it a four-point cushion. The game turned into a free throw contest late as Guiffre made all four of her attempts, sandwiched in between a pair of makes from Lee.
Guiffre's final two makes from the charity stripe made it 74-70 Cardinals with three seconds left and as Emily Hall hit a last second heave from over midcourt, it wasn't enough for the Continentals as the game ended in a 74-73 Wesleyan victory.
After going 7-for-13 as a team from three against Amherst last night, Wesleyan went 8-for-16 from behind the arc as the Cardinals shot at least 50 percent in both NESCAC wins this weekend.
Guiffre's 32-point outing is tied for the third-highest point total for a Cardinal since the NESCAC was formally founded in 2000-01. Quinn was solid once again off the bench, going for 13 points, eight rebounds, and a career-high five assists. Lee added 11 points in her final regular season home game.
Only four Continentals scored in the whole game, as Taylor Lambo led Hamilton with 28 points and 11 rebounds (10 offensive). Hall went off for 23 points and nine assists while Emma Sehring totaled 13 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists.
Wesleyan closes the regular season with four straight road NESCAC games, starting next weekend with trips to Middlebury (Friday 7 PM) and Williams (Saturday 3 PM).
