Jan 31, 2015
QUINCY, Mass. -- Senior Kelly Coleman scored a game-high 22 points and the University of New England used a 19-2 run early in the 2nd period to pull away to a 77-55 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball victory over Eastern Nazarene College on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 31) at the Lahue PE Center.
Big Blue (15-4, 11-1 CCC) has defeated the Lions (6-11, 5-6 CCC) each of the last 14 times the teams have met.
Coleman made of 8-of-9 field goal tries and corralled a team-high seven rebounds to lead the Nor'easters. SophomoreAlicia Brown tallied all of her 14 points after halftime, going 6-of-8 from the floor in the frame. Junior Alanna Vosecontributed 12 points and first-year Sam MacDonald tossed in 11 (all in the 1st stanza). Playing limited minutes in the opening half due to foul trouble, junior Meghan Gribbin recorded all of her six points and five assists down the stretch.
Eastern Nazarene was paced by Mhiah Vickers with 13 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Nicole Greer totaled 12 points and seven boards. Courtney Houston and Jasmine Mata added 10 points apiece -- all of Houston's came prior to the break.
Control of the scoreboard changed hands 11 times in the initial 20 minutes, with neither side leading by more than four on the way to a 35-34 cushion for the Lions at intermission. ENC connected at a 52 percent clip on its shot attempts in the period.
Back-and-forth another six instances in the early stages of the 2nd had the hosts maintaining a 41-40 edge, but Big Blue took the lead for good (17:14) on a basket by Coleman and never looked back. Over the ensuing 7:40, the Nor'easters built the margin up to 59-43.
UNE, which finished with a 34-12 scoring advantage in the paint, shot 55 percent from the field in the closing half while holding its opponent to a conversion rate of just 28 percent.
The Nor'easters return home to face Wentworth Institute of Technology (3-9 CCC) on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).