NEWPORT, R.I. – In their second meeting of the year, Salve Regina used a big first half to hand Endicott a 71-49 defeat in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball game that at first looked to have a familiar feeling to it.
When the teams met on November 28th in Beverly, the Gulls led by 21 points at halftime and then had to hold off a second-half Salve Regina rally for a two-point victory.
On Wednesday night at the Rodgers Recreation Center, it was the home team Seahawks that led by 21 at the half, and though Endicott (11-6, 7-3 CCC) did make a run after the break, Salve Regina used stifling defense down the stretch to shut the door on the Gulls and improve to 10-7 (7-3 CCC).
Freshman Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) poured in a game-high 21 points for Salve Regina, who as a team tallied fifteen steals and shot 43% from the floor.
It was first year Kelsey Cuddy (Madison, Conn.) who led the Gulls in scoring and on the boards, with nine points and nine rebounds off the bench.
Endicott started the second half on a quick 12-4 run thanks to contributions from across their roster, and pulled to within seven points at 54-47 with just over eight minutes to play after two buckets from Cuddy and a layup by Jordan Ferland (Charlestown, N.H.), who had eight points in a reserve role for the Gulls.
The Gulls would score just once more in the game, however, a layup by Ferland with 1:23 remaining, as Salve Regina seized control of the contest back with a 17-2 surge over the final eight minutes of the second half.
Salve Regina senior Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.) scored 15 points and led all players with 7 assists, while Brianna del Valle (Belchertown, Mass.) had ten points and, with Harden, co-led the Seahawks with 8 rebounds.
The teams combined for 19 blocks, with Endicott junior Samantha Crough (Cohasset, Mass.) collecting four of Endicott's eight to go with 7 points and 7 rebounds.
Endicott led just once, at 3-2 less than two minutes into the contest, but Salve Regina scored the next 10 points, eight of them by Harden, including two-three pointers. Harden would add four more points to cap an 18-5 run that gave Salve Regina a 20-8 lead halfway through the first half.
Birrell sunk a three-pointer at the halftime horn to push the Salve Regina lead to 21, at 41-20. Both teams were 5-9 from behind the three-point line in the first half, with Kayleen Whall (Foxboro, Mass.) hitting twice for the Gulls and Harden and sophomore Courtney Rosenlund (Whitinsville, Mass.) making a pair of trifectas each for Salve Regina.
Endicott finished the game 6-12 from downtown, while Salve Regina was 5-12 (41.7%).
Junior guard Sarah Robinson (Norwich, Vt.) had three assists for Endicott, while Crough and Ferland had two steals apiece.
Birrell and Marissa Pendergast (Medfield, Mass.) each had three blocks for the home team, and Pendergast registered seven of the Seahawk's steals.
The Gulls will turn around and return to Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon for a 1:00 pm conference game at Roger Williams.
Salve Regina will be at conference leaders University of New England at the same time in Biddeford, Maine.