Gulls sail past Pilgrims, 87-67
Feb. 20, 2008
BEVERLY, Mass. - Endicott College converted 29 New England College turnovers into 44 points as the Gulls sailed past the visiting Pilgrims, 87-67, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference game on Wednesday night in Beverly, Massachusetts.
With the win, Endicott improves to 16-8 overall and 11-1 in TCCC play. New England College dips to a reversed 8-16 mark, and 4-8 mark in conference action.
NEC came out hot to start the contest as the visitors used a 3-pointer from junior Ashley Hutton (Lebanon, N.H./Lebanon), and a lay-up by junior LaShawnda Wilson (Burlington, V.A./Burlington) to build an early 5-0 lead. Endicott would come back strong, eventually going on a 9-0 run to take a 14-9 advantage. The Gulls would remain in the drivers seat, and after a 3-point play from senior Aubrey Drugan (Salem, N.H./Bishop Guertin), the Endicott lead swelled to 30-18.
The Pilgrims refused to go quietly, storming back with a 13-4 run of their own, closing the gap to 34-31. Just as the visitors returned the score to a one possession game, Endicott regained the lead with a late half charge to escape into the dressing room with a 45-33 lead. Graduate student Paris Sanders (Needham, Mass./Minuteman Tech.) was instrumental in the 11-2 run, as she collected a steal, lay-up, rebound, and an assist in the teams final three possessions.
The second half belonged to Endicott as the Pilgrims had no answer to the Gulls' inside-outside attack. Led by the strong play of senior Sara Doherty (Somerville, Mass./Arlington Catholic), the Gulls built a 24-point lead just seven minutes into the period. Despite New England College's dominance on the glass (the visitors held a 42-24 rebound advantage), the Pilgrims sloppy ball control proved to be their demise. EC converted 13 NEC turnovers into 20 points during the second half alone.
New England College was led by LaShawnda Wilson who flirted with a triple-double, scoring a game-high 17 points, with eight rebounds, and seven assists. Also scoring in double-digits for the Pilgrims were Ashley Hutton with 11, and Kendall Wolfson (Lyndeborough, N.H/Wilton-Lyndeborough) with 10.
Endicott had four players post double-figures, paced by Aubrey Drugan's 13. Nicole Duchesne (Plaistow, N.H./Central Catholic), Jenna Cosgrove (Sharon, Mass./Sharon), and Paris Sanders all notched 11 points in the win.
Both Endicott (16-8, 11-1 TCCC) and New England College (8-16, 4-8 TCCC) return to action on Saturday as they close out their respective regular seasons. NEC will travel to Boston, Mass. to take on Wentworth, while Endicott heads to Milton, Mass to meet Curry College.