Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Western New England senior co-captain Katie Eckert scored a career-high 18 points to lead all scorers, and sophomore Chelsea Vujs added a double-double, but it wasn't enough as the Golden Bears women's basketball squad lost, 60-51, to Wesleyan (Conn.) in their non-conference, home opener at the Alumni Healthful Living Center field house on Tuesday. The visiting Cardinals improve to 3-0 on the season while WNE falls below the .500-mark for the first time at 1-2.

Dreisen Heath came off the Wesleyan bench to score a team-high 14 points as the only Cardinal in double figures. She shot 5-for-7 from the field. Brenna Diggins grabbed a team-best six rebounds and four other teammates had five.

Vujs pumped in 12 points and hauled in a season-high 12 rebounds to pace all players. Senior Shaylyn Sicard (4 points) dished five assists, blocked one shot and had a steal.

The Cardinals made the most of their free-throw opportunities by sinking 23 of 29 attempts while the Golden Bears were 14-for-19. Wesleyan also took advantage of 24 WNE turnovers to convert into 27 points, and outscored the Golden Bears 16 to 4 in second-chance points.

After Eckert's 3-pointer from the right-elbow to open the second half gave WNE a 27-23 lead, Amber Wessells scored five of her eight points in the game to ignite a 7-0 run as Wesleyan took its first lead since 23-22 to go up 30-27 with 17 minutes and 39 seconds left.

Trailing 34-32, Western New England reclaimed the lead on an Ali Pessolano (6 points) trey with 13:48 on the clock. That was the last time the Golden Bears led as the Cardinals responded with a 13-2 run over a 5:59 span to take a commanding 47-37 cushion.

In the first half, WNE came back from a 10-point, 13-3 deficit with 13:10 left, ending the half on a 21-10 run.

Western New England made 16 of 46 field goal attempts for a .348 percentage and Wesleyan was 17-for-55 at .309.

The Golden Bears return to action on Thursday (6 p.m.) when they travel to North Adams for a non-conference encounter at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.