The Emerson women’s basketball team played its final home game of the regular season on Feb. 15, ending on a high note with a 67-57 victory over Wheaton College on the Hank Smith Court.

They still have two away games left in the regular season before the first round of playoffs begins on Feb. 26.

“Awesome, together, and unsurprising,” head coach Bill Gould said of the season so far.

Emerson had a winning record against Wheaton, but two key players—graduate center Charlotte Levison and junior guard Bri Frongillo—were out with injuries.

Despite their absence, the Lions controlled the game well, breaking from their usual style with an aggressive start. Sophomore guard Kaylin O’Meara opened the scoring, while freshman guard Jessie Silk and sophomore forward Elise Arnold quickly joined the effort, helping Emerson build an early eight-point lead just five minutes in, forcing Wheaton to call the first timeout.

Wheaton made quick defensive adjustments after the timeout, switching to a full-court press. But Emerson’s starting lineup didn’t show signs of struggle in the first half. Even with two starters out, they didn’t look shorthanded. Instead, previously unsung players stepped up and made an impact.

One of them was O’Meara, whose fast drives into the paint and reverse layups caused problems for Wheaton’s defense.

“I had two concussions in the fall, so I just started playing again a couple weeks ago,” O’Meara, who also plays for the women’s soccer team, said. “It’s good to get back in the groove. It was nice to get the opportunity to play a little more today.”

Saturday was O’Meara’s 20th birthday, and she marked the occasion with a career-high 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

The Lions finished the first quarter up 21-14 and extended their lead even further in the second, with a well-balanced offensive attack from sophomore center Claire English, sophomore guard Kendra Dodd, and junior guard Sophia Canter.

“Sometimes it’s actually hard to play with such great players because you get overshadowed a little bit,” Gould said when asked about players who don’t always stand out. “That doesn’t mean you’re not a good player, and I think their testament is that they work hard every single day. They are able to play with and against really good players in practice, so when their time comes, they are ready to step up.”

“Our coach called them the ‘stay-ready team,’ quoting the Celtics,” English added.

By halftime, Emerson had built a 16-point lead.

Wheaton regained momentum in the third, maximizing its speed advantage and drawing three fouls from Emerson. The visitors also erased Emerson’s dominance in rebounding and interior play, flipping the script from the first half.

Emerson had 16 rebounds in the second quarter, compared to Wheaton’s seven. But in the third, Wheaton grabbed 11 rebounds to Emerson’s seven. On top of that, Wheaton’s field goal percentage jumped nearly 20% to 46.7%, while Emerson’s dropped to 28.6%.

“They’re a good scoring team. They have players who can put the ball in the basket, and they’re going to score,” Gould said. “We had some foul situations, but then we battled back and were able to recover.”

The Lions bounced back in the final quarter, holding onto a slim lead with key shots from Silk, free throws, and three-pointers from Dodd and Elise Arnold.

Canter’s two three-pointers—one with four minutes left and another in the final minute—sealed the win for Emerson. The Lions improved to 8-3 at home and 7-2 in the NEWMAC conference.

Silk and Dodd led the team with 15 points each, while Canter added eight points.

“We are a team of twelve, and we’ve all put in the work, we all care, and right now, we are the second seed,” English said.

The Lions will face Smith College on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m., followed by their season finale against Springfield College on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m.