Women's Basketball: Regular Season Champs! Eagles Top Newbury For First League Title

Brookline, Mass. -  One banner clinched, one to go.

Backed by a 17-point second half scoring barrage from junior Joyce Chagan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) on the way to a game-high 23, and a rare and dominant double-double from sophomore Vanessa Bosques (N. Windham, Conn.), the Daniel Webster College women's basketball team clinched its first ever conference regular season title with a convincing 75-58 victory over Newbury College Wednesday night at Hellenic College.

Bosques notched 17 points and pulled in a career-high 12 rebounds, sophomore Alycia Gervais (Windham, Conn.) added 17 points and nine rebounds while rookie Ariel Guzman (Yonkers, N.Y.) also hit for double figures with 10 points as the Eagles (19-5, 14-1 NECC) clinched home court advantage for the NECC final four nine nights from now and added another highlight to what has proven to be a remarkable year in DWC athletics.

The squad becomes the third Eagle program this season (and in College history) to win a conference regular season title, joining women's volleyball and men's soccer. Both fall programs went on to win their respective tourney titles. 

The Eagles will serve as tourney final four host and play the opening semifinal next Friday night at 6:00 p.m. against the winner of the fourth and fifth seed quarterfinal winner.The quarterfinals take place on Tuesday, February 23^rd.

Defending tourney champion Lesley University has clinched the second seed and will play in the second semifinal against the winner of the third and sixth seed quarterfinal at 8:00 p.m.

The title game is slated for the following day at 2:00 p.m.

Bosques helped the Eagles jump out in front early, netting 11 points in the first half but junior Ashley Monteiro (Cambridge, MA/Cambridge Rindge & Latin) and sophomore Shayla White (Dorchester, MA/Wellesley) kept the Nighthawks in the game. Monteiro and White both reached double figures in the half, tallying 10 and 12 points, respectively as the Eagles took a five point lead (41-36) into the locker room.

In the second, Daniel Webster Chagan was red-hot from the field, knocking down 6 of 9 from the field. Gervais added nine points in the frame while Guzman added eight of her 10 and the Eagles put the game away with a 15-0 run consuming four and a half minutes turning a three-point game (45-42) into an 18-point edge with 12:34 remaining.

Despite the loss, Monteiro led the way for Newbury (8-12, 6-8 NECC) recording a team-high 17 points while White followed up with 15. Senior Katelyn Mark (Quincy, MA/North Quincy) had a solid night, rounding out the Nighthawks in double digits with 10 points while dishing out a team-high five assists and tallying three steals.

The Eagles close out their regular season Thursday night hosting Bay Path College at 5:30 p.m. before an eight-day layoff until the NECC semifinal.