MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – After heading into the locker room leading 29-16, the Wesleyan women's basketball team saw Colby score 43 points in the second half as the Mules finished off 59-54 come-from-behind victory on Saturday afternoon in Silloway Gymnasium. Wesleyan (5-8, 0-2 NESCAC) loses for the second straight game despite leading entering the fourth quarter while Colby (5-7, 1-1 NESCAC) gets in the win column for the first time in NESCAC play.
 
In a game that didn't feature much first half scoring, the Mules scored the first seven points before Brooke Guiffre '23 got the first Cardinal basket to go down with 5:20 left in the first. That basket catapulted Wesleyan on a 10-0 run that gave the home side a lead entering the second. Olivia Quinn '26 scored eight straight points following the Guiffre bucket to account for 80 percent of the Cardinal points in the frame.
 
Wesleyan's run continued into the second as Maggie Lee '23 hit a three to cap what was a 15-2 swing for the Cardinals. After the two teams traded baskets for the next three-plus minutes, it was Wesleyan who once again mounted a significant scoring run, finishing the second quarter with nine unanswered points, holding the Mules scoreless for the final 4:48 of the quarter.
 
A one-sided quarter saw seven different Cardinals score as Wesleyan outscored Colby 19-7, making it 29-16 at the break.
 
Wesleyan took their biggest lead of the game on a Lee three-pointer 34 seconds into the third quarter that made it 32-18 Cardinals, but Colby would make their move in the next three minutes as an 11-2 run in favor of the Mules cut the deficit down to just five points.
 
After the Cardinals retook a double-digit lead at 40-29, Colby closed the quarter holding Wesleyan scoreless for the final 3:56 of the frame, entering the fourth trailing 40-35.
 
That suffocating defense from the Mules continued into the fourth as Colby prolonged what ended up being a 16-0 run as the Cardinals hit their first basket in nearly eight minutes to lower what now was a three-point deficit.
 
Wesleyan fought back and managed to take a lead with 3:59 remaining as Tori DaCosta '25 hit a fallaway jumper in the paint. With Colby later leading by one, a crucial Lydia Mordarski three-point play made it 55-51 Mules with 1:50 left.
 
Abby Gray '24 answered back with a three-pointer just 19 seconds later but Caroline Smith continued an epic second half as she netted a runner in the lane to give her 18 of her game-high 23 points in the second half alone.
 
The Cardinals chose to go for a quick two on both occasions with the ball trailing by three in the final minute but they came up empty on both possessions.
 
DaCoata had another solid outing coming off a career-high 25-point effort last night against No. 25 Bowdoin as the sophomore finished with 12 points and six rebounds against the Mules. Quinn tallied 12 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes while Jones recorded 10 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 32 minutes.
 
Smith was the catalyst in the second half comeback for Colby as she finished with 23 points (18 in the second half) on 10-for-21 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. Gabrielle Hemenes netted 12 points and Mordarski had 11.
 
Wesleyan heads back on the road for two games in New London next week as the Cardinals will face Mitchell on Thursday at 6:00 PM before taking on Connecticut College on Sunday at 3:00 PM.