Feb 16, 2011
Henniker, N.H. – Endicott College women's basketball used a balanced scoring attack to snap a three-game losing streak and top the New England College Pilgrims 69-48 Wednesday evening.
With the win the Gulls improve to 15-8 overall and 9-3 in TCCC play. The loss evens the Pilgrims' overall record at 12-12 and drops them to 5-7 in the conference.
Endicott would net the first basket of the game and never look back using and 8-0 run to build a 22-13 lead midway through the half. The Gulls would continue to control much of the offense closing out the half on a 9-0 run to take the commanding 49-27 lead at the break.
The hosts never threatened in the second half as Endicott stretched its lead to as many as 25.
The game featured the TCCC's top two scorers in NEC's Rachel Williams (Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Endicott's Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H.). Wright delivered a team-high 14 points to go along with six rebounds and six steals in the win. Williams finished with a game-high 26 points and 16 rebounds.
Senior center Ashley Vitale (Wilmington, Mass.) chipped in 12 points and five rebounds for the Gulls. Junior point guard Nicole Heffernan (Londonderry, N.H.) set a career high with ten points and was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. As a team, Endicott shot 50% (8 of 16) from long range.
Endicott's bench outscored its counterpart 22-4, led by eight points from Jordan Ferland (Charlestown, N.H.) and six from Kate Kovach (Moon Township, Pa.).
Williams was the only player in double-figures for the Pilgrims, who also received eight points apiece from Kate Levy (Woods Hole, Mass.) and Jessie Ledy (Pickford, Mich.).
Turnovers proved to be the difference, as the Gulls turned 27 Pilgrim turnovers into 31 points. Endicott turned the ball over just three times in the decisive first half and finished with 11.
NEC closes out the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 19 when it hosts conference opponent Wentworth Institute of Technology. Endicott will also hit the court on Saturday when they host conference-foe Curry College in their regular season finale as a part of Senior Day.