Feb 21, 2015
BRISTOL, R.I. -- Roger Williams University did not miss a shot attempt from the field (4 of 4) in the extra session to outlast the University of New England, 74-68, in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball finale on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 21) at the Campus Rec Center.
The Hawks (19-6, 16-2 CCC) earn a share of the regular-season title with their 10th straight win. The Nor'easters (16-2 CCC) drop to 20-5 overall, ending a string of six consecutive wins.
Katie Lowerre and Teagan Dunn had the hosts up from the start of overtime, and made it 69-64 with 1:47 left on the clock.
A layup by UNE senior Kelly Coleman and the second of two free throws from junior Alanna Vose cut into the gap (69-67), but RWU received a three-pointer from Rachel Battista on the next trip to make it 72-67 with 33 seconds remaining.
Big Blue converted just 5-of-10 at the charity stripe in OT.
Dunn registered 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor and 7-for-8 at the line, while collecting 14 rebounds and five blocks. Angelica Ariola scored 19 points as well, including the 1,000th of her career, making the junior the eighth player in Roger Williams history to achieve the milestone. Lowerre and Emma Klis each added 12 points.
Vose, who had made a pair of freebies to knot things up with 11.5 seconds left in regulation, finished with a game-high 22 points. Coleman posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Meghan Gribbin canned the first three treys she looked at, and ended with nine points to go with nine assists.
Gribbin's hot start helped the Nor'easters to a 24-12 lead just past the midway mark of the initial period. The margin was still nine (29-20) with 3:18 before halftime, but three missed field goals and three turnovers in the last seven possessions left the door open for the Hawks. RWU knocked down seven free throws heading into the break to back an 11-1 stretch that swung the advantage (31-30) the other way.
After Vose hit a three-pointer to make it 38-33 early in the 2nd, a 9-2 spurt by Roger Williams flipped the cushion once again.
UNE countered with eight unanswered points, featuring back-to-back triples by Vose, to go up six (48-42) with 13:07 still to play.
The Hawks erased a deficit for the last time by scoring seven in-a-row to take a 57-55 edge into the final five minutes of the contest. A jumper by Klis had RWU up 61-59 shortly after, but 3:02 of scoreless action followed before the free throws by Vose to force overtime in the waning seconds.
The top two seeds in the CCC Championship will be at home on Tuesday, facing Wentworth (UNE) and Endicott (RWU).