NEWPORT, R.I. - Five different Seahawks scored in double figures to lead top-seeded Salve Regina University women's basketball to a 66-44 win over No. 8 Curry College in the opening round of The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) Championships.

All-TCCC point guard Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.) scored the game's first basket on a layup at the 17:18 mark. Birrell, who finished with 12 points, later followed with a jumper before Danyel Cousins (Brunswick, Maine) scored the Colonels' first basket at the 15:42 mark. A pair of free throws by Carolyn Houston (Melrose, N.Y.) tied the game at 4-4.

A 3-pointer by the TCCC Player of the Year, Erin Phillips (Morristown, N.J.), broke the game's last tie (6-all) and allowed Salve Regina to outscore the visitors by 10 (21-11) over the next 10 minutes.

A Phillips jumper with 1:11 left in the first half put the Seahawks up by a dozen (34-22), but a steal and a layup by senior guard Joneiha Veiga (Brockton, Mass.) brought the Colonels within 10 at the break (36-26).

Salve Regina (23-3; 13-0 TCCC) used the outside shooting of senior guard Kimberly Horan (Webster, Mass.) to open up the game in the second half. Horan scored all of her 12 points in the second frame on a pair of 3-pointers, two mid-range jumpers and a reverse lay-in.

All-TCCC forward Lindsay Shorey (Ashland, Mass.) had three successive baskets during a 20-6 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half as Salve Regina built its lead to 24 points (56-32 at 10:52 mark). Shorey was perfect from the floor (6-for-6) to finish with 12 points.

A pair of free throws from freshman forward Marissa Pendergast (Medfield, Mass.), who was perfect from the line (6-for-6) and finished with 10 points, put Salve Regina up by 25 (66-41) before Curry senior forward KellyRose McCarthy (Hull, Mass.) ended the scoring with a 3-pointer in the final minute.

"After a slow first half, it was Kim's shooting that opened things up for us in the second," said TCCC Coach of the Year Cori Hughes. "We were able to play aggressively without rushing. Plus, our work on the boards kept the ball in our hands and the clock became our friend."

Salve Regina had nearly twice as many rebounds (54-29) as Curry (17-9; 6-7 TCCC) including 22 on the offensive boards. Senior forward Victoria Audet (Broad Brook, Conn.) pulled down a career-high 14 caroms. Phillips led all players with 16 points and registered her eighth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds.

The Seahawks advance to their third straight TCCC semifinal and will host No. 5 Regis College which knocked off No. 4 Endicott, 56-54, tonight in Beverly, Mass. Salve Regina's semifinal tilt with the Pride tips off at 7 p.m. from the Rodgers Recreation Center. The Seahawks defeated the Pride by six (66-60) in early January.

Newspaper Box Score
Curry vs Salve Regina
02/22/11 7:00 pm at Newport, R.I. - Rodgers Rec. Ctr.
At Newport, R.I. - Rodgers Rec. Ctr.      

SALVE REGINA 66, CURRY 44

CURRY (17-9)
Joneiha Veiga 3-10 1-2 9; Julia Scrubb 2-8 4-4 8; Cortney Robinson 2-7 2-2
6; Hailey Rafferty 2-7 2-2 6; Ashley Assarian 2-6 0-2 5; Danyel Cousins 2-7
0-0 4; Carolyn Houston 0-8 3-4 3; KellyRose McCarthy 1-4 0-0 3; Lauren
McGrath 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-57 12-16 44.

SALVE REGINA (23-3)
Erin Phillips 5-17 5-5 16; Kaitlyn Birrell 6-10 0-0 12; Lindsay Shorey 6-6
0-0 12; Kimberly Horan 5-14 0-0 12; Marissa Pendergast 2-6 5-5 9; Victoria
Audet 1-3 1-1 3; Olivia Browning 1-4 0-2 2; Lisa Bucci 0-2 0-0 0; Meghan
Averill 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-64 11-13 66.

Curry 26 18 44
Salve Regina 36 30 66

3-point goals--Curry 4-17 (Joneiha Veiga 2-6; Ashley Assarian 1-3; KellyRose
McCarthy 1-1; Hailey Rafferty 0-3; Carolyn Houston 0-2; Julia Scrubb 0-2),
Salve Regina 3-14 (Kimberly Horan 2-8; Erin Phillips 1-3; Lisa Bucci 0-2;
Meghan Averill 0-1). Fouled out--Curry-None, Salve Regina-None.
Rebounds--Curry 29 (Hailey Rafferty 6; Carolyn Houston 6), Salve Regina 54
(Victoria Audet 14). Assists--Curry 6 (Danyel Cousins 3), Salve Regina 9
(Kaitlyn Birrell 3). Total fouls--Curry 14, Salve Regina 12. Technical
fouls--Curry-None, Salve Regina-None. A-276

TCCC Championships - quarterfinals                                           
#1 Salve Regina vs #8 Curry; Seahawks advance to semifinal Thursday