DAYTONA BEACH, FLA (December 28, 2024) – The Beacons' women's basketball team stole the show at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, as UMass Boston edged out the Stevens Institute of Technology in an entertaining battle on day one of the Sunshine Shootout Tournament.

The Basics:

UMass Boston 74 – 65 Stevens
UMass Boston: 3-7 (1-2 Little East Conference)
Stevens: 3-5 (0-0 Mid-American Conference)

How It Happened

• First-year forward Ashleigh Lagor (Millbury, Mass.) initiated scoring with a deep pull from beyond the arc that found twine for the game's first bucket. Stevens would match the intensity out of the gate as they sprung out to a four-point lead just over halfway through the first period. Little by little, the Beacons would force themselves into the paint and retake the lead heading into the second quarter with a two-point cushion (20-18).
• Sophomore rookie standout Hialeah Turner-Foster (Mashpee, Mass.) notched the first basket of the second quarter with a driving layup. Sophomore Samora Merchant (Brookfield, Conn.) continued to provide the Beacons with second-chance opportunities by cleaning the offensive glass. Her putback with 3:52 gave the Beacs their largest lead of the game at six points. Neither team could develop a true run as the defensive tone for the game was suffocating on both ends.  Junior defensive knight Tatiannah Fevry (Dracut, Mass.) closed the quarter off a good jumper to give the Beacons a three-point advantage heading into the halftime break. Sophomore forward Sabanna Berrios (Providence, R.I.) led the Beacons in scoring at halftime with 11 points (66 FG%) and three boards.
• Berrios would lay off a dish to Merchant for the lay in to open scoring in the second half. A steal-and-score by Foster would give the Beacons their largest lead of the game at seven points with 7:04 in the third. From there, the Beacons settled into a groove and extended the lead to double digits off another Berrios' jumper.
• The Ducks were able to claw their way back into the game in a last-ditch effort. With 5:02 remaining in the game, a good three-pointer would put them within one point of UMass Boston. Fevry responded on the next possession with a three of her own, her first of the season, to put UMass Boston up four points. Junior captain Sibayla Jensen (Portland, Ore.) would add a crucial layup to give them additional space on the scoreboard as time began to wind down for the Ducks. Following Jensen's layup, Lagor connected from downtown on the following possession, and iced both free throws the next to put the ribbon on a hard-fought finish to an entertaining game one at the Florida Sunshine Shootout Tournament.

By the Box:

• Four student-athletes recorded double figures for the Beacons, led by Berrios with a team-high 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-6 FT), and six rebounds.
• Foster matched her career-high with 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-4 FT), while contributing two boards, two assists, and a steal.
• Fevry went 5-8 from the field for 14 points to go with four dimes (assists) and two steals.
• Lagor turned in 12 points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 4-4 FT) and a team-high seven rebounds in the effort.
• Merchant had her fingerprints all over the game, with nine points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT) to go with three rebounds, four assists (tied for a team-high), and the Beacons' only block of the game.

Who's Next:

• The Beacons play their final game in Florida tomorrow, Sunday, December 29, in the same venue against the Amherst College Mammoths.
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• To follow along with live stats, follow the link HERE.