NORTHFIELD, VT. - The New England College women's basketball team was named the Ed Hockenbury Classic Tournament Champions on Saturday afternoon, taking down host Norwich University 65-50.
The Cadets jumped out to an early 11-2 lead in the first quarter. Junior Camryn Lewis (Taunton, Mass.) converted a foul by Jade Garceau to trim the lead, and junior Jayden Estrada (La Mirada, Calif.) drained a three-pointer to further chip away at the lead. The teams continued to trade baskets throughout the quarter, with Norwich holding a 13-7 advantage at the end of the quarter.
The Pilgrims continued to close the gap as Lewis drove into the basket for a layup, followed by Estrada's second three-pointer, cutting the lead to just one. Kiley O'Brien answered with a jumper to push the Cadets' lead back to three, but Lewis and Estrada fueled a 14-0 run for the Pilgrims, giving the visitors the lead. Jessie Zimmerman ended Norwich's scoring drought with a pair of free throws, but Lewis quickly added one from the line to extend the 'Grims led to 28-17 with 2:53 remaining. The Cadets fought to trim the deficit, yet NEC maintained a 29-20 lead at halftime.
Senior Mackenzie McDonald (Boscawen, N.H.) opened the third quarter with a basket, but O'Brien quickly responded with a jumper to trim the lead. Estrada kept her hot streaking alive from beyond the arc, draining another three-pointer of the game to give the Pilgrims the edge. Norwich kept pace, as Zimmerman and Cassidy Kittredge each connected from deep to cut the lead to single digits. The Cadets continued chipping away at NEC's lead, trailing 42-37 with 1:27 remaining. Junior Xitlali Montesino (Watsonville, Calif.) netted a pair of free throws to push the Pilgrims' lead to 45-37 heading into the final quarter.
Norwich continued to battle in the final quarter, but NEC stayed hot offensively, as a pull-up jumper from senior Ajayah Lively (Victorville, Calif.) extended the Pilgrims' lead back to double digits. The Cadets hit a few late shots to trim the lead to single digits, but Estrada knocked down a three-pointer to push the 'Grims ahead. The Pilgrims finished strong, outscoring Norwich 11-4 over the final five minutes to claim a 65-50 victory.
Estrada led the offense with 20 points, shooting 66.7% from three-point range and grabbing six rebounds while Lewis recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Montesino tallied 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals. Estrada was named the Ed Hockenbury Classic MVP while Lewis was named to the All-Classic Team.
The Pilgrims continue their non-conference slate on Tuesday, hosting Vermont State University – Lyndon with a 5:00 PM tipoff.
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