ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Leading by 24 at halftime and by as many as 40 points in the second half, the Wesleyan women's basketball team opened the St. Pete Classic in Florida with a dominating 72-49 win over Russell Sage on Tuesday from the McArthur Center on the campus of Eckerd College. Wesleyan moves to 6-3 on the season while the Gators (1-7) have lost six straight.
 
Wesleyan put up point totals of 19, 20, and 21 through the first three quarters, building a 60-22 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Cardinals shot at least 50 percent from the floor, hitting five triples, in the second and third quarters while holding the Gators to just 10-for-44 shooting (22.7 percent) including a 1-for-16 (6.3 percent) spell from three-point range in the first three quarters combined.
 
Tori DaCosta '25 led the way for Wesleyan with 16 points (8-12 FG) in just 23 minutes while Maggie Lee '23 went 3-for-3 from three on her way to 14 points. Five more Cardinals scored at least five points while the Wesleyan defense forced Russell Sage into 22 turnovers which led to a 21-10 edge for the Cardinals in points off turnovers.
 
It was all-Wesleyan in the opening frame, as the Cardinals held the Gators to just five points on 2-for-12 shooting. Russell Sage hit just one field goal in the opening 8:54 of play, being held scoreless for more than five minutes as the Cardinals took full advantage with a 12-0 run, building a 19-3 lead.
 
Lee caught fire in a 2+ minute spell, hitting two three-pointers while also hitting a jumper just outside the paint as she led Wesleyan on a 10-0 run to make it 33-11 Cardinals with 4:03 left in the first half. Kate King '27 hit a layup off a Russell Sage turnover late in the quarter, making it 39-15 Wesleyan at the halftime break.
 
The Cardinals broke the game wide open in the third quarter, outscoring the Gators 21-7 to take a 60-22 lead into the fourth. Eight different Cardinals scored in the stanza while the Gators went just 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) and missed on all five of their three-point attempts. Wesleyan scored the final 12 points of the quarter, holding the Gators scoreless for the final 6:39 of the frame.
 
DaCosta hit a layup to open the fourth, giving Wesleyan a 40-point lead, before Russell Sage outscored the Cardinals 27-12 in the quarter to account for the 72-49 final score.
 
Olivia Quinn '26 finished with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists for the Cardinals. King scored eight with four rebounds off the bench. Ceci Coughlin '27 went 2-for-3 from three-point land to finish with six points.
 
Wesleyan is set to face Rhodes in another neutral site contest to complete the St. Pete Classic on Wednesday at 1 PM.