Women’s Basketball Opens Season with 71-52 Triumph over Suffolk

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Western New England University women's basketball team opened its 2019-20 campaign with a 71-52 victory over Suffolk University on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at the Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Top Performers
Western New England was led by the senior duo of Meghan Orbann (East Hampton, Conn.) and Emily Farrell (New Fairfield, Conn.). Orbann produced a game-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, to go with five rebounds and two assists. Farrell finished with 17 points and four boards while sinking 8-of-9 free throws.

Senior forward Courtney Carlson (Woodbury, Conn.) contributed eight points, six boards and three assists, while junior guard Julia Quinn (Thomaston, Conn.) chipped in with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, five rebounds and two steals off the bench.

Suffolk senior guard Alexis Hackett (Charlton, Mass.) recorded a double-double with ten points and ten boards to pace the Rams. Junior guard Jenni-Rose DiCecco (Falmouth, Mass.) added a team-high 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting. 

Game Review
The Golden Bears trailed 7-2 two minutes into the contest, before surging ahead with a 6-0 run over the next 2:16. Western New England, which took the lead for good (11-9) on an Orbann layup midway through the opening period, outscored the Rams 8-1 over the final 3:39 of the frame to open up a 20-12 advantage through ten minutes of play.

Western New England's lead reached double-figures (26-15) for the first time after Orbann connected on a pair of three-pointers, the second of which came four minutes into the second quarter. The Rams responded with an 8-0 run to close the gap to three (26-23) with 3:13 on the clock, but the Golden Bears regained the momentum heading into halftime with a 10-2 spurt the rest of the way.

Western New England opened the third quarter with six straight points to stretch the lead to 17 points (42-25), and the Golden Bears went up 19 (47-28) when Orbann knocked down her third triple of the game with 5:50 left in the period. Trailing by the same margin (49-30) later in the quarter, Suffolk utilized a 9-0 run to cut its deficit to ten, but Farrell scored the final four points of the frame to push Western New England's lead back to 14 (53-39) heading into the fourth.

The Rams were unable to get closer than 14 in the final period, as the Golden Bears led by as much as 20 (66-46) en route to earning the season-opening victory.

Notes
• Western New England won each quarter and led for 35 of the 40 minutes.
• The Golden Bears outscored the Rams 14-0 from the 1:22 mark of the second quarter to the 7:34 mark of the third period.
• Senior guard Sydney Fisher (Strafford, N.H.) secured a team-high seven rebounds for Western New England.

Up Next
Western New England (1-0) returns to action on Tuesday night at crosstown rival Springfield College, with opening tip slated for 5:30 p.m. Suffolk (1-1) hosts Emerson on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.