WNEC to meet UNE in conference playoffs

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Freshman guard Maggie Rossi (Fairhaven, MA) came off the bench to score 11 points and junior forward Terri Duffy (Marshfield, MA) had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds as the Colby-Sawyer women's basketball team posted a 54-47 victory over Western New England College in the final game of the regular season for both teams Saturday (Feb. 21).

The Chargers improved their overall record to 16-8 and finished with a 9-4 mark in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC). Fourth-seeded Colby-Sawyer will host fifth-seeded Salve Regina in a quarterfinal round game of the conference tournament Tuesday (Feb. 24).

Rossi netted eight of her points in the second half and finished with six rebounds and two assists.

Senior center Emma Pasquale (Eliot, ME) and senior guard Kali Coleman (Portsmouth, NH) each added nine points.

Western New England College took a 14-7 lead seven minutes into the contest before Colby-Sawyer used a 10-0 run to take a 29-27 lead at halftime.

The Golden Bears took advantage of several missed Chargers' free throws in the second half to go ahead 37-33 on a jumper by sophomore guard Taryn Belowsky (New Haven, CT) with 8:48 left in the game.

Colby-Sawyer came back with an 8-0 run with a three-pointer by senior guard Ellen Naughton (Reading, MA) giving the visitors the lead for good at 38-37 at the 7:33 mark. It was Naughton's only basket of the game and the Chargers first basket of the second stanza. 

Western New England College could get no closer than two points after that and scored only six points in the final 4:05.

Junior guard Kayla Al-Darraji (Dover, NH) led the Golden Bears with 13 points, all in the opening half. Naughton did a nice job defensively holding Al-Darraji scoreless in the second half.

Sophomore forward Kelly McCormick (Manchester, CT) contributed eight points and 12 rebounds while freshman forward Sarah Proper (Coxsackie, NY) also had eight points along with five rebounds.

Western New England College, which had a five-game win streak ended, now has a 12-12 record.

The Golden Bears finished sixth in the league with an 8-5 mark and will visit third-seeded University of New England in the opening round of the conference playoffs.

Before the game, Western New England College honored guards Katie Arey (Enfield, NH) and Krystal James (West Haven, CT) during Senior Day activities.

This also was a rematch of the last year's TCCC championship game that Colby-Sawyer won 70-61.