Women’s Basketball Falls to UNE in CCC Tournament Semifinals

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 27, 2020) – The Western New England University women's basketball fell to the University of New England, 62-53, in the semifinals of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament on Thursday evening at the Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Top Performers
Sophomore Abby Cavallaro (South Portland, Maine) led the Nor'easters with 25 points. Senior Jocelyn Chaput (Nashua, N.H.) grabbed a double-double with 12 points and 10 points, while senior Ashley Coneys (Dover, N.H.) scored 12 points.

Senior forward Courtney Carlson (Woodbury, Conn.) scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Golden Bears. 

Game Review
The Nor'easters came out strong, taking an early 12-4 lead after Cavallaro converted on an and-1 opportunity midway through the first quarter. A layup from Chaput extended the U. of New England lead to 11 points. The Nor'easters started the second quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 26-10 lead midway through the second quarter. A pair of free throws from Carlson cut the Nor'easter lead down to nine by a score of 30-21. 

After going into the half down 11, the Golden Bears cut the deficit down to six after a 3-pointer from senior guard Sydney Fisher (Strafford, N.H.) with four minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Nor'easters pushed the lead back to 10, but a 3-pointer from senior forward Meghan Orbann (East Hampton, Conn.) right at the buzzer made it a seven point difference heading into the final quarter.

Carlson converted an and-1 opportunity shortly into the fourth quarter to cut the deficit down to four. Both teams traded baskets throughout the quarter. A 3-pointer from sophomore guard Julia Quinn (Thomaston, Conn.) with a minute left made it a five point game. The Nor'easters hit key free throws down the stretch to hold on to the win. 

Notes
• Western New England held a 35-33 rebounding advantage.
• The Golden Bears were held to 31.1% shooting from the field.