SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 21, 2022) – The Western New England women's basketball team defend their home court for the first round of postseason play against the Curry College Colonels, taking a 83-63 win, moving into the quarterfinals of the CCC playoff tournament. 

Records:

• Western New England: 11-15, 8-10 CCC
• Curry College: 4-22, 1-17 CCC

How It Happened: 

Curry College hit a layup right away to start the game, and that was their first and only lead of the game. Shaina Cooney hit the first points for the Golden Bears on the foul-line, followed by Grace Fisher made a quick layup after a turnover by Curry. Three minutes into the first quarter the score was tied up at four before the Golden Bears went on a run. WNE scored 12 straight points before the Colonels made another basket. At the 4:07 mark in the first quarter the score was 16-6, WNE. Fisher scored her ninth point in the quarter after Curry knocked in a three-pointer at the other end of the court with more than two minutes left of play in the first. The Golden Bears lead the game by ten or more points for the rest of the quarter, and the period ended with a score of 26-14 in favor of the home team.

The Golden Bears started off the scoring from the free throw line again in the second quarter where Abby Garaban went two for two. Neither team hit a basket until Garaban knocked in a jump shot with 6:24 to go in the half. WNE was now up 30-14. Curry knocked in yet another three before Garaban knocked in another jumper for the Golden Bears. Curry hit shots to keep them in the game with the score 34-22, only allowing four points from WNE, before Fisher hit back-to-back layups. The Golden Bears ended the first half of play leading the Colonels 43-28.

Curry came out of the half and made four straight points before Cooney made a nice move to the basket for WNE almost at the 8:03 mark in the third quarter. It took a lot of up and down play before either team knocked in a shot. Almost halfway through the third, at 5:43, Fisher hit a layup, and the Colonels returned one immediately. Fisher with another big quarter gained another eight points from a pair of free-throws with 2:19 on the clock before she exited the game for the quarter. The Golden Bears were now up 55-38. Allison Ingalls scored the only other basket the Golden Bears had in the period while Curry knocked in five more points, the third final score 57-43.

The Colonels would keep in the game, hitting clutch three after clutch three to send the Golden Bears lead down to as 11 in the third quarter, though the Golden Bears would prevail in the fourth getting timely hoops from Sam Bodey, Ingalls, and Emma Novajasky to give WNE 24 points lead with three minutes to play. Western New England would get insurance buckets from Lilly Hedge and Lindsay Orbann to seal the victory for the Golden Bears, taking down Curry 83-63 to move into the CCC Quarterfinal match tomorrow night.

Inside the Numbers:

• As a team, the Golden Bears shot 51.5 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent from the three, 78.6 percent from the foul line, while grabbing 50 rebounds, 21 assists, and one block.
• Curry College had 35.6 percent from the paint, 25.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 60.0 percent from the free throw line while pulling down 20 rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, and one block.
• The Golden Bears were led by Fisher in points and rebounds with 21 points and eight rebounds, plus four assists.
• Cooney added with 14 points, four rebounds, three assist, one steal, and one block. Ingalls put up 13 points and four rebounds, all in the second half.
• The Colonels were led by Kristanna Remillard, who collected 23 points on the night, while teammate Kathryn Dunn scored 22 points for Curry. 
• Western New England out-rebounded Curry 50-20. 

Up Next:

• The Golden Bears will face the number two seed University of New England Nor'easters on the road tomorrow, February 22, for the CCC quarterfinals at 7 p.m.
• Curry College's season comes to an end in the CCC first round playoff game with the loss.