Nov 16, 2010
Beverly, Mass. – Ashley Vitale (Wilmington, Mass.) led three players in double figures to help power Endicott to a 64-35 win over UMass-Dartmouth in the season opener for both teams. The senior forward also grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the win.
Endicott opened a nine point halftime lead before breaking the game open in the second half. Senior guard Ashley Wright scored 14 points including ten in the first half while freshman guard Ashley Walenta (Plainfield, Conn.) tallied ten points off the bench.
The hosts led nearly wire to wire, trailing for just 17 seconds after conceding a basket on the game's first possession. Wright put the Gulls on top, 4-2, with a pair of quick buckets in the opening minute. The senior guard then drilled a three pointer to ignite an 11-0 run midway through the first half that put Endicott on top 17-4.
Both teams traded baskets until UMass Dartmouth put together a 7-0 run with less than four minutes remaining in the half to trim the lead to four. The Gulls responded by scoring six of the final seven points to take a nine point lead (30-21) into the break.
Nicole Heffernan (Londonderry, N.H.) scored from the baseline on the first possession of the second half to put the Gulls on top by 11. One minute later, the Corsairs cut the lead to nine on a layup by Jessica Underwood (Dorchester, Mass.). UMass-Dartmouth would not get any closer as the Gulls put together a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to put the game out of reach.
Endicott got bench production from a variety of players, led by Walenta's double-digit effort. Jen McBrien (Medfield, Mass.) chipped in a pair of field goals and four rebounds in eight minutes of action while freshman forward Julie Manning (Hull, Mass.) added a late basket and two rebounds in her first collegiate game.
The Gulls turned 22 turnovers into 12 points while holding the Corsairs to 1-for-21 from behind the arc. Endicott was five-of-13 from long range (38.5%).
Erika Bornemann (Canton, Mass.) led UMass-Dartmouth with seven points on two-of-nine shooting. Sophomore forward Colleen Moriarty (Canton, Mass.) and freshman guard Keneisha Debnam (Dorchester, Mass.) each pulled down nine rebounds in the loss.
Heffernan had an efficient night, recording eight points while contributing five assists for the Blue and Green while senior forward Brittany Kelleher (Wakefield, Mass.) chipped in nine rebounds including five on the offensive end. Endicott won its home opener for the seventh consecutive season.
The Gulls return to action on Friday when they host Lyndon State College at 6:00 pm in the semifinals of the Endicott Tip-Off Tournament. UMass-Dartmouth will host St. Joseph's (Maine) on Friday at 7:00 pm in its home opener.