Jan 04, 2014
BEVERLY, Mass. -- Junior forward Kelly Coleman tallied 14 of her career-high 25 points in the second half to help the University of New England rally for a 55-52 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball victory over Endicott College on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 4) at MacDonald Gymnasium.
Facing their largest deficit of the closing frame (42-36) with less than seven minutes remaining, the Nor'easters tied things at 42-all with a 6-0 spurt. However, Kayleen Whall dropped in consecutive baskets to put the Gulls right back up by four.
After UNE sophomore Alanna Vose knocked down a three-pointer to cut the margin to one (46-45), and one free throw by Endicott, Big Blue sophomore Sadie DiPierro connected from long distance to put the visitors on top (48-47) with 2:54 left.
A pair from the charity stripe by Whall managed to tie the game at 51-51 with just over a minute to go, but the Gulls could not regain the advantage as Coleman scored the final four points for UNE. Endicott's last-second shot attempt to force overtime fell short.
UNE (7-1, 3-0 CCC) has now secured the decision in the last four meetings with Endicott (6-3, 2-1 CCC).
Coleman grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds for the Nor'easters, who finished on top of a 51-39 difference on the glass. She was also a perfect 11-for-11 at the free throw line in the contest, marking the sixth time in the last 26 seasons that a UNE player made at least 11 freebies in a game without a miss.
Vose chipped in with 11 points. Sophomore Lauren Hayden picked up six steals, staying just fractionally off the nation's per-game lead in the category.
For the Gulls, Whall and Katelyn Wright each registered 11 points. Whall also pulled in a team-high nine rebounds.
Both squads struggled shooting the ball, combining to make just 28 percent (35 of 123) of the field goals attempted and 18 percent (8 for 44) from beyond the arc. Big Blue had an 11-point cushion over Endicott in free throws, sinking 20-of-24 on the day.
The Gulls led most of the way, including a 13-4 advantage just over seven minutes into the match. A trey from Vose brought UNE to within 14-12 past the midway point of the opening period, but the hosts still held a slim 25-24 edge at halftime.
The Nor'easters return home to face Wentworth Institute of Technology on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). Endicott entertains Salve Regina University the same evening.