Worcester, Mass. – Powered by a strong defensive effort and another outstanding all-around performance from sophomore Emily Reilly (Marlboro, Mass.), host Clark University snapped its brief two-game slide with a convincing 59-41 win over Wheaton College on Saturday afternoon in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action.

The win improves the Cougars overall record to 15-8 – their most victories in five seasons and secures them of a home playoff game on Wednesday, February 22 should they not earn one of the top two seeds in the upcoming conference tournament.

 The Lyons, meanwhile drop their fifth consecutive game to slip to 8-15.

Reilly finished with a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds, while Ashleigh Condon (Hull, Mass.) totaled 15 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists in 34 minutes.

Clark led from wire to wire with the lead ballooning to as many as 25 early in the second half. The Cougars opened the game on a 19-9 run in the first seven minutes of the contest and after a Gabbie DePalo (Rumson, N.J.) basket cut the lead to single digits, Clark went on a 13-0 run highlighted by three-pointers from both Reilly and Kate Minister (Manchester, England).

After going into halftime ahead 37-16, the Cougars held the Lyons to without a basket for the first four and a half minutes of the second half as their lead grew to 43-18.

Wheaton made a push late in part because of their defense. After a Reilly finish on the break off a feed from Annmarie Fransen (Belmont, Mass.) at the 13:14 mark made the score 49-26, Clark went nearly ten minutes without a basket. Wheaton chipped away and got the lead down to 16 and as close as 14 with 3:35 left.

The Lyons, however, would get no closer as Breeann Redman (Bristol, Conn.) knocked down a clutch jumper to help seal the game for the Cougars.

Clark held Wheaton to 25 percent shooting from the field, including a 5-for-23 clip from behind the arc.

The Cougars, meanwhile, shot 39 percent from the floor after hitting just 29 percent in the final 20 minutes.

Clark held a 24-4 edge in points off of turnovers and had a 24-14 advantage on points in the paint.

In addition to Reilly and Condon, Megan Grondin (Cumberland, Maine) added nine points, five rebounds and three assists for Clark.

Wheaton was paced by DePalo's 12 points and eight rebounds and Abbie Brickley (Sandy, Utah), who totaled six points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Cougars, now 11-5 in conference action, remain one game ahead of Wellesley in the No. 3 spot. They will visit Babson on Wednesday before closing out the regular season next Saturday at MIT.

Wheaton, sitting at 6-10 in league play and locked in a tie with MIT for seventh place, host the Engineers on Wednesday.