SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 11, 2025) – The Western New England women's basketball team was led by senior Shaina Cooney, who poured in a season-high 25 points on the night, which also matches a career high, while also scoring her 1,000th career point in the win, needing 22 points in the game to accomplish the feat, doing so in a 65-55 victory over the visiting Rams of Suffolk University on Tuesday night from the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Records:
·      Western New England: 21-1, 14-1 CNE
·      Suffolk University: 11-11, 6-9 CNE
How it Happened:

The Golden Bears got off to a quick start in the first quarter, opening the game on an 8-0 run just 1:30 into the contest. Emma Kan opened the scoring with a deep three on an assist from Colleen Furlong while Shaina Cooney had the next five points for Western New England, coming into the game needing 22 to eclipse the 1,000 mark in her career, to become the 18th member of the WNE women's basketball program to accomplish the feat. Jordan Moreau and Amanda DeAngelis would get on the scoreboard for Suffolk, which cut Western New England's lead back by just a bucket, 10-4. The Golden Bears would head up again, as Cooney would continue to fill the stat sheet with points, scoring 13 points in the opening quarter, which brought Western New England's lead to 16, 20-4. Back-to-back hoops from Suffolk would bring WNE's lead down to 11, but buckets from Kahn and Perry Blasetti would be what the Golden Bears would need to take a 25-11 lead after one quarter of play. WNE shot 57% from the floor, going 2/3 from distance in the quarter overall, while the Rams fell short, shooting just 33% from the floor.

Neither team would start the second quarter off hot, but Western New England would come up with the first five points of the quarter as Blasetti and Caitlyn Hunt had second quarter points, bringing the Golden Bears ahead 30-11. Emma Novajasky's three-pointer with 4:19 to play in the half would give Western New England their largest lead of the night, 20 points, while just a short time later, Lilly Hedge would hit a layup and a foul shot, bringing WNE ahead by 22. Shaina Cooney had 17 first-half points, needing just five to come away with 1,000 in her career, grabbing a layup with 13 seconds remaining. Western New England took a 22-point lead out of the first half, 41-19. Western New England was aided by their three triples in the second quarter, shooting just 38% from the floor. Suffolk continued to struggle in the first half, shooting just 3/13 from the field.

Suffolk would come out of the half by scoring six of the first eight points to open the third quarter, dropping Western New England's lead down to 18. Colby Guinta, Suffolk's leading scorer this season, would sink WNE's lead down even further with a made triple with 5:33 remaining in the third. Western New England would go on a quick 6-0 scoring run as Blasetti, Paige Winter, and Nora Young helped WNE regain their 20-point lead again with 3:09 to play in the third. The two teams would trade buckets in the final three minutes, with Suffolk having the upper hand by the end of the quarter, getting the final four points from Guinta, trailing by 17, 55-38 to the Golden Bears. WNE made just four field goals in the third quarter, shooting 26% overall. Suffolk came alive and outscored WNE 19-14 in the frame, shooting 7/10 and 3/4 from deep.

After having just two points in the third quarter, Shaina Cooney would again come alive in the fourth quarter, which allowed a push for WNE to get by Suffolk. Cooney opened the scoring for WNE in the final quarter with a jumper, now just three points away from 1,000 in her career. Following the hoop from Cooney, Suffolk would again go on a scoring run that brought the lead down to 12 for Western New England, the lowest it had been since the early stages of the first quarter. Cooney would take exception to that, breaking Suffolk's run with a layup, scoring 21 points with 3:42 left to play in the game. Cooney would be etched into Western New England women's basketball history forever on their next possession, getting a pass from Nora Young and getting a turnaround floater to fall, coming up with her 1,000th career point in blue and gold, becoming the 18th member all-time in Western New England women's basketball history to score at least 1,000 points in her career. Cooney would finish with 25 points on the night, tying a career high, as WNE would pick up the 65-55 victory over Suffolk, their 21st win of the season.

Inside the Lines:
·      Cooney's historic night was a double-double, going for the aforementioned 25 points while also collecting ten rebounds in the win. Cooney shot 11/18 from the field overall while hitting all three free throws.
·      Colleen Furlong had a breakout game with nine points, four assists, and two steals.
·      The Golden Bears shot 40% from the field as a team after shooting just under 58% from the floor in the first quarter. WNE was 5/8 from inside the arc in the fourth.
·      Colby Guinta led Suffolk with 19 points, including four threes and two steals. Amanda DeAngelis contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.
·      Suffolk shot 40% overall on the night and never held a lead in the game.
Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE hits the road on Saturday, February 15, at 12:00 PM, taking on Curry College.