NEW PALTZ, NY- The Wheaton College women's basketball team took the lead for good early in the second half and pushed its way to a 66-53 victory over Farmingdale State College during the State University of New York at New Paltz Tip-Off Tournament consolation game on Saturday in Elting Gymnasium. The Lyons are now 3-1, as senior Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) was named to the all-tournament team. The Rams fell to 0-2.

In her first college start, freshman Gabbie DePalo (Rumson, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven Regional) gave the Lyons a 2-0 lead after 55 seconds, but Farmingdale State responded with the next seven points during a 40-second span to grab a 7-2 edge by 17:48. Wheaton played catch-up for much of the remainder of the half, eventually pulling within 12-11 on junior Ida Kruse's (Vershire, VT/Rivendell Academy) bucket at 11:26.

Down 16-11, the Lyons finished the period on a 17-4 run, with five players scoring during that time. Junior Andrea Bailey's (Needham, MA/Needham) two free throws put Wheaton on top at 5:34, as she, DePalo and junior Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford) had four points apiece during the run.

The Lyons held a 28-20 edge at the break despite shooting 26.5 percent, including 2-of-10 from three-point range, and committing 15 turnovers thanks to winning the rebounding battle, 31-16, hauling down 16 boards on the offensive end. Wheaton also hit all eight of its free-throw attempts. Hickey snared nine caroms by halftime, including six offensive, while helping her team hold Farmingdale State to 30 percent shooting. The Rams also went 0-of-4 from the charity stripe and committed 12 giveaways.

Champney's hoop 52 seconds into the second stanza gave Wheaton a 30-20 lead, but Farmingdale State put together a 13-3 rally during a 4:01 span, knotting the contest at 33 by 14:46. However, the Lyons notched the next 12 points in a matter of 2:27, taking the lead for good after Kruse followed her own miss with a rebound and hoop at 14:07. She then found senior Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) for a three-pointer the next time down the floor. Smith canned another triple later in the run.

Wheaton's second-half scoring output was bolstered by 44.4 percent shooting, including a 4-of-5 showing from beyond the arc. The Lyons finished 18-of-24 from the charity stripe and earned a 56-41 rebounding edge. Champney led her squad with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and Smith canned three threes en route to 11 points. Bailey had 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, while Hickey had 10 caroms. Senior Jennie Pleat (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) turned in eight points off the bench, while junior Stephanie Michals' (Fairfax, VA/Saint Stephen's and Saint Agnes School) six rebounds led all Wheaton reserves.

The Rams finished the contest shooting 28.6 percent, going 22-of-77 while trying 16 more shots than the Lyons. Farmingdale State was 4-of-20 from beyond the arc and 5-of-10 at the charity stripe. The trio of juniors Kimberly Blakney (Brooklyn, NY/Benjamin Banneker) and Gabrielle Green (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) and freshman Shemique Hooks (Westbury, NY/Westbury) combined to shoot 20-of-61, as Blakney led her squad with 20 points, six steals and four assists. Hooks notched 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Green had 12 and snagged 10 boards.

Wheaton returns home on Tuesday to host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) at 6:00 p.m.