MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Wesleyan women's basketball team fell short on Saturday, dropping a 70-55 decision to Conn. College in Silloway Gymnasium. Wesleyan (6-13, 1-6 NESCAC) have lost five straight while the Camels (12-8, 3-4 NESCAC) earn their first win over the Cardinals since 2017.
 
Points came fast and furious in the first quarter, with three ties in the opening 3+ minutes before Conn ripped off a 12-0 run to lead 16-6. The Camels led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter but saw the Cardinals score on their first two trips down the floor in the second quarter, cutting the deficit down to three points.
 
Olivia Quinn '26 pulled up from mid-range and hit a jumper to tie the score at 23-23 but Conn's freshman guard Sofia Tavarez began to assert her will, as she got to the rim at will all throughout the 40-minute contest, scoring seven points in each of the opening two quarters for 14 total first half points.
 
Taking a 32-28 lead into halftime, the Camels stretched their advantage to 43-33 early in the second half. It took another extended Cardinal run to turn the tide and make it a one-point game entering the fourth quarter. Across the final 6:59 minutes of the third quarter, Conn was held to just one basket while the Cardinals went on a 12-3 run.
 
That momentum carried over into the fourth quarter when Meghan Kirck '28 hit from deep to give Wesleyan their first lead since the first quarter. From that point forward, however, Conn dominated play and outscored Wesleyan 24-7 across the rest of the fourth quarter.
 
A Camel three-pointer followed by a three-point play from Tavarez put Conn ahead 52-48, ultimately taking a 58-48 lead with 5:14 left. Conn went to the free throw line 15 times in the fourth quarter alone, hitting 12, as the visitors finished off a 15-point road win.
 
Tavarez's 31-point night is the second-highest single-game scoring total by a NESCAC player this season as the freshman finished 10-for-18 from the floor with seven rebounds and four steals.
 
Kirck led the Cardinals with 17 points while Alli Jones '27 had 12 points and Quinn tallied 10 points.
 
Wesleyan celebrated Senior Day prior to the start of play as Quinn and Kaylin Genda '26 were honored for their contributions to the program over the past four years.  
 
Hitting the road for their next game, Wesleyan travels to Lewiston for a 1 PM tip at Bates next Sunday.