BENNINGTON, Vt.- The Southern Vermont College Women's basketball team earned its second New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) victory in as many games Saturday with a 74-66 win over Mitchell College at the Mountaineer Athletic Center.
Four Mountaineers scored double digit points in the victory, Saturday. Joa Claircius (Clermont, FL) led the way with a double-double as she recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sherrita Hall (Temple Hills, MD) and Kourtney Hewitt (Bennington, Vt.) finished a rebound short of a double-double. Hall had 13 points while Hewitt finished with 10. SVC's career three point leader, Alyssa Davis added to her total with four three pointers and 12 points.
Zilka Navarro had a game high 32 points to lead the Mariners with 25 of her points after the break. Point guard Kaylee Cerruto had 18 points in the defeat for Mitchell. On the glass, senior Bianca Young had 14 rebounds.
The Mountaineers raced out to an 11-0 lead to open the game. SVC continued to increase its lead in the first half, as SVC opened a 17 point advantage with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. In the second half, Southern Vermont held its largest advantage after a Hewitt layup made the score 45-21.
For the next five minutes the two squads traded baskets back and forth, before Mitchell made its comeback run. Navarro and Cerruto led the comeback for the Mariners as the two combined for 19 points in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Southern Vermont is 2-0 in NECC play for the first time in program history and sits at 3-5 headed into the winter break. The Mountaineers will play January 5th against non-conference opponent MCLA. Mitchells drops to 0-2 in NECC play and is 1-7 overall.