Vikings Upend Engineers, 55-51

SALEM, Mass. – Salem State women's basketball limited Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to under 30% shooting on the afternoon, securing a 55-51 victory to improve to 3-5 on the season.

Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) and Nicolette D'Itria (Revere, Mass.) led the Vikings with 13 and 11 points, respectively, while D'Itria also contributed seven rebounds and three steals. Ernidia Goncalves (Everett, Mass.) added 10 points and three blocks in the win.

Alice Kelly (Wethersfield, Conn.) paced the Engineers with a game-high 17 points, including nine points from the free-throw line (9-10 FT). Ava Giansiracusa (Wethersfield, Conn.) chipped in 12 points off the bench, all of which came from beyond the arc.

How it Happened:

• Both teams struggled to find their rhythm in the opening quarter, but six points from the Vikings' bench gave them a slight 10-7 lead after the first.
• Kylie Gates (Pembroke, Mass.) scored or assisted on eight of the Vikings' 11 second-quarter points, to help her team hold the 21-16 lead at halftime.
• Six minutes into the third quarter, the Vikings built their largest lead of the game after D'Itria got the crowd off their feet by completing the three-point play and giving the Vikings a 35-24 lead with 4:39 remaining in the frame. Giansiracusa responded with two three-pointers to keep the Engineers within striking distance, as the Vikings led 40-35 heading into the final quarter.
• With under five minutes to play, an Engineer layup tied the game at 44, but Salem quickly regained the lead following a steal by Gates and a finish by Haley Phillips (Haverhill, Mass.). WPI came within one point of the Vikings on two occasions, but the Vikings held on to secure the 55-51 victory as the buzzer sounded.

Inside the Numbers:

• Kylie Gates dished out a season-high 12 assists in the victory.
• Both teams were held to their lowest scoring outputs of the season.

Up Next:

The Vikings hit the road this Tuesday, December 10 as they travel to Wellesley College for a 7p.m. contest.