Feb 16, 2013
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Senior Beth Suggs scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds to power the University of New England women's basketball team to a 60-49 victory over Western New England University in the Commonwealth Coast Conference regular-season finale Saturday (Feb. 16) afternoon at the Alumni Healthful Living Center.
The win gives the Nor'easters a perfect season in the CCC with an 18-0 mark, while extending their school-record winning streak to 16 games and concluding the regular season with a 21-4 overall mark. UNE is just the second team in 10 years to go unbeaten in CCC competition (Salve Regina, 13-0 in 2010-11).
Suggs tallied her career-best scoring total thanks in large part to an 11-for-11 performance at the free throw line. She now has a double-double in 15 of Big Blue's 25 contests. She tallied 19 points in the second half.
Kelly Coleman added 10 points and eight rebounds for UNE, while Meghan Gribbin had seven points, five steals and four assists. Lauren Hayden contributed seven points and six rebounds.
Emily Savino had 20 points and five steals for the Golden Bears (15-10, 12-6 CCC). She made four 3-pointers. Chelsea Vujs came off the bench to record a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards.
The first half was tight the entire way, as each team struggled to get is offense untracked. The Nor'easters, who led by as many as six and never trailed again in the first frame after going down 3-2, settled for a 22-18 advantage at the break. UNE shot 32.2 percent (9 of 28) in the first half, while Western New England made just 20 percent (5 of 25) of its field goal tries.
Second-half play opened with the hosts outscoring UNE 14-9 over the initial 5:48 to grab a slim one-point (32-31) cushion.
Coleman would give the Nor'easters the lead for good on the next possession, then Suggs followed with a conversion down low and Alanna Vose nailed a trey to establish a 38-32 UNE lead with 11:27 remaining.
Big Blue led the remainder of the afternoon, making all 10 of its free throw attempts over the final 3:11 to help seal the victory.
For the contest, UNE led 44-33 in rebounds and was 18-for-21 (85.7 percent) at the free throw line.
Both teams open play in the CCC Championship on Tuesday (Feb. 19) with quarterfinal-round home games. The top-seeded Nor'easters will host No. 8 Wentworth Institute of Technology, while the No. 4 Golden Bears entertain No. 5 Endicott College. Each game will tip at 7 p.m.