DANBURY, Ct. - The SUNY Poly women's basketball team beat Western Connecticut State in two games on Thursday and Friday to improve to 8-3 this season. The first game was a 67-55 win for SUNY Poly on Thursday. The second game was a 63-51 win for the Wildcats. 

GAME ONE:

SUNY Poly got up by a big margin in the first quarter thanks to a great performance by Lauren Denny who put up 10 in the quarter on 5-5 shooting from the field. After taking a 25-8 lead in the first 10 minutes of play, the Wildcats grew their lead to 20 points with six minutes to play in the first half. The 'Cats held the lead for the remainder of the game to secure the win. 

NOTABLE STATS: 

• Molly Burdick had a game-high 25 points and was just a rebound shy of a double-double with nine. 

• Lauren Denny had her best game of the season, scoring a career-high 20 points while shooting 62% from the field. She also had a team-high four assists and a game-high five steals in 40 minutes of play. 

• Nicole Vivian had 16 points for WestConn. She also had six rebounds, two assists, and a block. 

• Gabrielle Franks had 11 points for Western Connecticut. 

GAME TWO: 

Friday's game went differently than the first. The Wildcats and Western Connecticut traded blows back and forth with the Wildcats ultimately coming out on top. There were 10 ties and seven lead changes in the game. The Wildcats were led in the game by a new face, transfer Lyrik Jackson who scored a game-high 26 points in 30 minutes of play off the bench. The Wildcats took their final lead in the fourth quarter and had a strong final push, outsourcing Western Connecticut by 12 points in the final 10 minutes to lock up the win. 

NOTABLE STATS: 

• Lyrik Jackson led all players with a game-high 26 points. 16 of her 26 points were made at the charity stripe where she went 16-17. Jackson went 5-8 from the field and had eight rebounds, three steals, and a block. 

• Molly Burdick had 17 points for the Wildcats. She also had a game-high 14 rebounds to record her eighth double-double of the season. 

• Alexandra DeBeatham scored a career-high 16 points for the Wildcats. She also had a steal, six rebounds, and an assist.

• Nicole Vivian led Western Connecticut with 13 points. She also had three rebounds and three assists. 

• Ashley Riley scored 10 points for WestConn. She shot 50% from the field and had four rebounds. 

UP NEXT: 

The Wildcats will host NVU-Lyndon in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play on Friday, January 4th at 6:00 PM. The game will be played at the Campus Center Gym. No spectators will be permitted at the game, but it will be streamed live on the SUNY Poly Sports Network (SPSN). 

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SUNY Poly is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world's most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.