Jan 31, 2012
MILTON, Mass. -- Senior forward Margo Russell (Madison, Maine) matched her career high with 26 points, including 17 in the second half, to help the University of New England women's basketball team pull away to an 80-64 victory over Curry College in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Tuesday evening at the Student Center.
The Nor'easters (15-4, 10-2 CCC) have now taken 16 of the last 17 meetings with the Colonels. Curry slips to 7-12 on the season, 5-7 in league play.
Russell shot 8-of-14 from the floor in the contest, and was perfect on all eight trips to the free throw line. She also garnered nine rebounds for Big Blue, which finished with a 46-39 edge in the category, thanks in large part to the 20 caroms from junior Beth Suggs (Bath, Maine).
Suggs' total tied for the 6th-highest single-game mark in program history -- a number that was last achieved by a UNE player during the 2001-02 season by Missy Stults '04 against Curry.
Sophomore Lauren Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine) chipped in with 13 points for the Nor'easters, while first-year Kelly Coleman (Portland, Conn.) and senior Kari Pelletier (South Paris, Maine) each added 11. Coleman had nine of her points in the final stanza, and Pelletier recorded all of hers at the charity stripe (11 of 12).
For the Colonels, Ashley Assarian, Kylie Beltz, and Hailey Rafferty combined for 41 points and 23 rebounds.
After a first half that saw nine lead changes and seven ties, UNE grabbed the final lead of the night with a trey just before intermission that put the visitors up, 31-28, at the break.
Big Blue built the cushion up to nine (49-40) 6:39 into the second, but Curry rallied to within one (53-52) on a lay-up by Beltz at the 7:13 mark.
The difference was two (58-56) inside of six minutes left when the Nor'easters got back-to-back three-pointers from Coleman and Russell to extend the gap to eight -- the largest lead to that point.
UNE doubled up its opponent the rest of the way (16-8) to settle on the 16-point final margin. Big Blue shot a blistering 60.9 percent (14 of 23) in the second period, and converted 18-of-23 free throws in the frame to put the match away.
The Nor'easters are back on the road Thursday for a date with Gordon College, while Curry heads to Roger Williams University the same day. Both games are slated to tip-off at 6 p.m.
The Nor'easters (15-4, 10-2 CCC) have now taken 16 of the last 17 meetings with the Colonels. Curry slips to 7-12 on the season, 5-7 in league play.
Russell shot 8-of-14 from the floor in the contest, and was perfect on all eight trips to the free throw line. She also garnered nine rebounds for Big Blue, which finished with a 46-39 edge in the category, thanks in large part to the 20 caroms from junior Beth Suggs (Bath, Maine).
Suggs' total tied for the 6th-highest single-game mark in program history -- a number that was last achieved by a UNE player during the 2001-02 season by Missy Stults '04 against Curry.
Sophomore Lauren Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine) chipped in with 13 points for the Nor'easters, while first-year Kelly Coleman (Portland, Conn.) and senior Kari Pelletier (South Paris, Maine) each added 11. Coleman had nine of her points in the final stanza, and Pelletier recorded all of hers at the charity stripe (11 of 12).
For the Colonels, Ashley Assarian, Kylie Beltz, and Hailey Rafferty combined for 41 points and 23 rebounds.
After a first half that saw nine lead changes and seven ties, UNE grabbed the final lead of the night with a trey just before intermission that put the visitors up, 31-28, at the break.
Big Blue built the cushion up to nine (49-40) 6:39 into the second, but Curry rallied to within one (53-52) on a lay-up by Beltz at the 7:13 mark.
The difference was two (58-56) inside of six minutes left when the Nor'easters got back-to-back three-pointers from Coleman and Russell to extend the gap to eight -- the largest lead to that point.
UNE doubled up its opponent the rest of the way (16-8) to settle on the 16-point final margin. Big Blue shot a blistering 60.9 percent (14 of 23) in the second period, and converted 18-of-23 free throws in the frame to put the match away.
The Nor'easters are back on the road Thursday for a date with Gordon College, while Curry heads to Roger Williams University the same day. Both games are slated to tip-off at 6 p.m.