NEW LONDON, N.H. – January 2, 2019 – The Colby-Sawyer College women's basketball team shot 40.9% (9-22) from beyond the arc and led from the opening tip to earn a 67-54 non-league victory over Salem State on Wednesday evening.

Colby-Sawyer improves to 7-4. The Chargers travel to Thomas College on Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest before beginning Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play next week. Salem State falls to 2-10. The Vikings will begin Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action at home on Saturday with a 3 p.m. tilt against Worcester State.

Junior Lexie Hamilton (Sunapee, N.H.) recorded 19 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks to lead the Chargers. Sophomore Joslin Wainwright (Plainfield, N.H.) added a career-high 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Sophomore Mackenzie Buzzell (Lovell, Maine) was 4-for-6 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. Junior Tianna Sugars (Oxford, Maine) finished with nine points and a game best 11 rebounds.

Salem State was led by senior Tyra Scott (Methuen, Mass.). She registered team highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Junior Courtney Paschal (Waltham, Mass.) was the other Viking to reach double figures with 15 points. Senior Kia Fernandes (Wareham, Mass.) was held to seven points, but added nine rebounds, four assists and a pair of blocks.

The Chargers scored the first five points of the game before a Paschal free throw put Salem State on the board at 6:01. Leading 7-6 midway through the opening stanza, Colby-Sawyer used a 13-2 run, capped by a Buzzell three-pointer, to take a 20-8 lead with less than a minute to play. Paschal ended the scoring with a trey of her own to cut the Salem State deficit to 20-11 after 10 minutes of action.

Colby-Sawyer continue to apply pressure with an 8-0 run to begin the second quarter. The Vikings stopped the streak with two free throws from Natalie Mellinger (Beverly, Mass.) and a Scott layup sandwiched around a Hamilton bucket. The Chargers, however, pushed its lead to 19 after a Buzzell trey with 2:31 left. Salem State received a three-pointer from Scott, in the final minute, to send the game into the halftime break with Colby-Sawyer in front 38-23.

The Chargers held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, despite efficient shooting by Salem State. The Vikings shot 50% in the third and 42.9% in the fourth. Colby-Sawyer outscored Salem State 14-12 in the third frame, but the Vikings held the Chargers to 21.4% in the fourth to win the quarter 19-15.  

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