Late Free Throw Lifts Golden Bears to 64-63 Victory at Eastern Nazarene

Western New England earns first win at Eastern Nazarene since 2012-13 season

QUINCY, Mass. (December 5, 2017) – Sophomore forward Courtney Carlson (Woodbury, Conn.) made the go-ahead free throw with six seconds remaining and then blocked a three-point attempt at the buzzer as the Western New England University women's basketball team secured a 64-63 victory over Eastern Nazarene College on Tuesday evening in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Lahue Physical Education Center. 

The Golden Bears led 35-30 at halftime and 62-56 with just over a minute remaining in the contest, but the Lions rallied to pull even with 24 seconds on the clock. Carlson, who missed a potential go-ahead jumper with nine seconds left, grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled before sinking the free throw that proved to be the difference in Western New England's first win at Eastern Nazarene since the 2012-13 campaign.

Top Performers
• Sophomore guard Emily Farrell (New Fairfield, Conn.) led the way for the Golden Bears in her first collegiate start with a team and career-high 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Farrell also established new career-highs in both assists (five) and rebounds (three).
• Sophomore forward Meghan Orbann (East Hampton, Conn.) recorded 12 points and eight boards, while junior guard Meghan Gilhool (Montrose, Pa.) contributed nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
• Senior guard Dorothy O'Neill (Staten Island, N.Y.) shook off a tough start and scored all ten of her points in the fourth quarter, shooting 4-for-4 from the field (2-for-4 FT) over the final ten minutes of play.

• Eastern Nazarene senior guard Shelby Holmes (Seeley Lake, Mont.) connected on 7-of-8 field goals, including 5-of-6 three-pointers, on her way to a game-high 19 points. Holmes, who scored 14 of her 19 points on 5-of-5 shooting (4-of-4 3-pt) in the fourth quarter, also tallied four steals, three rebounds and two assists.
• Lions senior forward Michelle Detwiler (Elkhart, Ind.) posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards, while junior guard Tia Torio (Manteca, Calif.) added 11 points and six rebounds.

Game Review
• Torio completed a three-point play late in the first quarter as Eastern Nazarene held a 17-15 edge through ten minutes of play.
• The Golden Bears, who trailed 25-20 midway through the second quarter, outscored the Lions 15-5 over the remainder of the period to open up a 35-30 lead at the break. Orbann and Farrell carried Western New England offensively in the second, scoring eight points each.
• Eastern Nazarene opened the third quarter with six straight points and claimed a 36-35 edge on a layup by Torio at the 7:30 mark. The score remained close throughout the frame, as freshman Lauren Chadwick's (Gardiner, Maine) layup on an inbound play at the buzzer tied the contest heading into the fourth.
• Western New England withstood a barrage of three-pointers by Holmes early in the fourth and took a 55-54 lead on a jumper by O'Neill with 4:08 remaining. After Detwiler put the Lions back in front (56-55) with a pair of free throws, the Golden Bears scored seven straight points, including five from O'Neill, to establish a six-point cushion with 1:02 on the clock. Holmes cut the deficit to three with another triple on Eastern Nazarene's next possession, and Detwiler made a layup seven seconds later before knocking down the game-tying jumper with 24 seconds left. Carlson's clutch plays down the stretch were the difference, however, as her offensive rebound, free throw and block sealed the win for the Golden Bears.

Notes
• The Golden Bears shot 41.2 percent (21-of-51) from the field and 77.8 percent (21-of-27) from the free throw line.
• Sophomore Hannah Zirkel (Westbury, N.Y.) scored three points and grabbed six rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench.
• Western New England's road win at Eastern Nazarene is its first since January 12, 2013, when Emily Savino scored 18 points in a 60-50 victory for the Golden Bears. 

Up Next
Both teams will be back in action with non-conference contests on Thursday, as Western New England (4-2, 2-1 CCC) travels to Eastern Connecticut and Eastern Nazarane (5-3, 1-2 CCC) hosts Lesley.