Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Massâ€"Four Golden Bears were in double figures led by senior captain Sam McCann with 14 points to lead all scorers as the Western New England women's basketball team routed Gordon College, 62-38, at the Alumni Healthful Living Center field house in a Commonwealth Coast Conference contest on Tuesday night. With the win, WNE improves to 12-7 overall and climbs over .500 again in the CCC with a 7-6 mark, drawing within a game of fourth-place Salve Regina. The Fighting Scots fall to 3-16 and 1-11 in the conference.

Freshman Dorothy O'Neill scored 11 points and had three assists while sophomore Emily Anderson chipped in 10 off the WNE bench. Junior Amanda Lopez also scored 10 points and knocked down all four free throws she attempted. Classmate Chelsea Vujs contributed seven points and a game-best seven rebounds.

No Gordon student-athlete scored in double digits. Sophie Linnell led the way with nine points, five rebounds and three steals, followed by Olivia Vetere with seven markers and five boards. Mariel Barner (6 points) paced the Fighting Scots with six rebounds.
 
Both teams traded baskets early on, with no one jumping in front by more than four points. Lopez hit a layup, igniting the Golden Bears' offense and starting a 24-4 run, which they finished the half on to cruise to a 33-14 halftime bulge. Aided by the Golden Bears' early effort to control the boardsâ€"pulling down six more than Gordonâ€"their offense compiled 10 first-half assists. 
 
Down 8-4, McCann missed a turnaround layup, but grabbed her own rebound and finished around three defenders, cutting the Scots' lead to 8-6. Her presence down low on both offense and defense affected Gordon's bigs.
 
With the shot clock winding down, Vujs jumped in the Gordon passing lanes and intercepted a pass. She broke free, and finished with an easy lay in, extending the Golden Bears' lead to 17-10. 
 
The Golden Bears denied Gordon's bigs, not allowing them to back into the post, and keeping their hands straight up, avoiding fouls. Western New England held Gordon to 5-of-19 from the floor, resulting in 26.3 percent. The Golden Bears totaled 43.8 percent, hitting 14-of-32 from the field.
 
Andersonâ€"who scored eight first-half pointsâ€"was an instant spark off the bench, dropping in a quick layup and showing range to her game and hitting two long jumpers. Her mid-range shot with 8:03 left in the half, extended the Golden Bears' lead to 11.
 
In the first half, McCann was scoring with ease from all over the court. She knocked down two mid-range jumpers, backed her defender down in the post, and collected offensive rebounds, giving the Golden Bears second-chance points. She netted 10 first-half points.

The Golden Bears' lead was extended to 40-15 when O' Neill was dribbling up court, went behind her back and found sophomore Sammie Olson. Olson then found Battaini on the wing, who knocked down a trey.
 
Picking up right where they left off in the first 20 minutes, the Golden Bears opened the second half up on a 20-6 run to forge a 53-20 cushion at 11:46.
 
The Golden Bears shot 47.4 percent from the field, on 27-of-57, while Gordon totaled 35 percent on 14-for-40.

Western New England steps out of CCC play on Thursday (5:30 p.m.) at Westfield State University.

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