Seahawks Edge Golden Bears, 51-50

Orbann (16) & Farrell (14) combine for 30 points

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 10, 2019) – The Western New England University women's basketball team was edged by Salve Regina University, 51-50, on Thursday evening in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at the Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Top Performers
Juniors Meghan Orbann (East Hampton, Conn.) and Emily Farrell (New Fairfield, Conn.) accounted for 30 of Western New England's 50 points. Orbann finished with a team-high 16 points, seven boards and three steals, while Farrell recorded 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Senior forward Tara Burke (Londonderry, N.H.) and senior guard Kerri Beland (Attleboro, Mass.) had ten points each for Salve Regina, while sophomore guard Mary Rorke (Norton, Mass.) totaled nine points, four rebounds and four assists.

Game Review
Western New England scored the first six points of the game and led 10-2 after Orbann sank two free throws with 4:18 remaining in the opening quarter. After the Seahawks responded with a 5-0 run, Farrell hit a three-pointer in the final minute to give the Golden Bears a 13-7 edge through ten minutes of play.

Western New England struggled offensively in the second period, as the Seahawks outscored the Golden Bears 13-4 to take a 20-17 lead at the break. With Salve Regina trailing 17-14 late in the frame, a pair of treys, including one at the buzzer, put the visitors ahead.

Early in the third quarter, three-pointers by Rorke and junior Torie Scorpio (Cranston, R.I.) allowed the Seahawks to build their largest lead of the night (26-17).

Western New England used a 6-0 run to get to within three (26-23) and the Golden Bears eventually made it a two-point game (31-29) when Farrell converted a pair of free throws with 4:20 on the clock.

A 6-0 run later in the quarter that culminated in an Emily Scurka (Billerica, Mass.) jumper briefly put Western New England back in front (35-34), but Brooke Vonasek (Willington, Conn.) scored the final five points of the frame to give the visitors a 39-35 advantage heading into the fourth.

Salve Regina maintained its slim lead through the early part of the fourth quarter, and Rorke connected from distance again with 4:30 left in the contest to give the Seahawks a six-point cushion (47-41).

Western New England mounted a late comeback led by Orbann, who knocked down a clutch trey at the 1:58 mark to get the Golden Bears to within one (49-48).

After Beland made two free throws for Salve Regina with 49 seconds to go, Orbann sank two of her own at the charity stripe to again make it a one-point game (51-50) with 26 seconds on the clock.

Western New England missed a pair of potential go-ahead shots with less than ten seconds to play, but Burke was fouled and went 0-for-2 at the free throw line, giving the Golden Bears one final chance. Orbann's three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, however, as the Seahawks escaped with the win.

Notes
• Western New England shot 30 percent (15-of-50) from the field but made all 17 of its free throw attempts.
• Orbann has posted three straight double-figure scoring efforts and ten overall this season.

Up Next
Western New England (9-5, 4-3 CCC) will be on the road Saturday at Curry, while Salve Regina (6-9, 2-4 CCC) travels to Endicott.