NEW LONDON, Conn. --- Jules Kowalski became the 14th player in Colby College women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points and the Mules earned the second seed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) playoffs after a 67-36 win against Connecticut College on Saturday.
The Mules won 20 games for the second straight year in improving to 20-4 overall and 7-2 in the conference. Colby also had the second seed in last year's playoffs. The Mules will play host to seventh-seeded Middlebury College next Saturday at 3 p.m. at Wadsworth Gymnasium in a league quarterfinal game. Colby took an 81-60 win at home against Middlebury on February 4.
Kowalski has 1,011 points and 727 rebounds in a consistent four years for the Mules. She has always had at least 200-plus points and 150-plus rebounds in all four seasons. Kowalski finished with her eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Camels.
Diana Manduca was 6-for-9 from the field on the way to a game-high 17 points for Colby. Rachael Mack added seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds, Kelly Potvin finished with eight points, and Jayde Bennett had five assists and eight rebounds.
Connecticut College (9-15 overall, 1-8 NESCAC) stayed with Colby in the opening 12 minutes and led 16-15. The Mules, though, used a 23-1 run over the last eight minutes to take a 38-17 margin into intermission.
The Mules held the Camels to 25 percent shooting (12-for-47) and had a 43-37 rebounding edge. Colby also forced Conn College into 23 turnovers (Mules had nine).
2011 Women's Basketball Championship Seeding
Quarterfinals – Saturday, February 19 at higher seeds
No. 8 Trinity at No. 1 Amherst – 4:00 p.m.
No. 7 Middlebury at No. 2 Colby – 3:00 p.m.
No. 6 Bates at No. 3 Bowdoin – 3:00 p.m.
No. 5 Tufts at No. 4 Williams – 4:00 p.m.
Semifinals – Saturday, February 26 at highest remaining seed (2:00 p.m./4:00 p.m.)
Highest remaining seed vs. Lowest remaining seed
Remaining quarterfinal winners
Championship – Sunday, February 27 at 12:00 p.m.
Semifinal winners
COLBY 67, CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 36
COLBY (20-4, 7-2)
Diana Manduca 6-9 4-4 17; Julianne Kowalski 4-8 4-6 12; Kelly Potvin 4-7 0-1
8; Aarika Ritchie 2-6 2-2 7; Rachael Mack 1-8 5-6 7; Jil Vaughan 2-5 1-2 5;
Jen Nale 1-6 1-2 4; Jacky McLaughlin 1-3 0-0 3; Jayde Bennett 1-3 0-0 2;
Karlyn Adler 1-4 0-0 2; Gabrielle Donahue 0-1 0-1 0. Totals 23-60 17-24 67.
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE (9-15, 1-8)
Kim Horne 4-12 2-2 11; Tori Verrengia 3-11 0-2 9; Caitlin Cimino 3-6 0-1 6;
Dana Albalancy 2-4 0-0 6; Annie Fierberg 0-1 2-4 2; Kacie Quick 0-1 1-2 1;
Brooke Cragan 0-4 1-2 1; Jeanna Dunleavy 0-5 0-0 0; Bradie Hutchinson 0-3
0-0 0. Totals 12-47 6-13 36.
Colby......................... 38 29 - 67
Connecticut College........... 17 19 - 36
3-point goals--Colby 4-17 (Jacky McLaughlin 1-3; Jen Nale 1-5; Diana Manduca
1-4; Aarika Ritchie 1-3; Karlyn Adler 0-2), Connecticut College 6-17 (Tori
Verrengia 3-7; Dana Albalancy 2-2; Kim Horne 1-3; Kacie Quick 0-1; Brooke
Cragan 0-1; Jeanna Dunleavy 0-1; Bradie Hutchinson 0-1; Caitlin Cimino 0-1).
Fouled out--Colby-None, Connecticut College-None. Rebounds--Colby 43
(Rachael Mack 11), Connecticut College 37 (Caitlin Cimino 8). Assists--Colby
12 (Jayde Bennett 5), Connecticut College 6 (Kim Horne 3). Total
fouls--Colby 13, Connecticut College 20. Technical fouls--Colby-None,
Connecticut College-None. A-300