Endicott falls 62-50 to Salve Regina in CCC opener

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Endicott women's basketball went on the road to take on defending CCC champions Salve Regina in their conference schedule opener and lost 62-50 despite a team-high 14 points from sophomore forward Samantha Crough (Cohasset, Mass.) and a double-double from sophomore guard Jennifer White (Lisbon, N.H.). 

Endicott (1-3, 1-1 CCC) trailed by 14 points with 9:45 to go in the second half but a 6-0 run brought the Gulls to within eight points at 53-45 at the 5:35 mark.  Salve Regina (2-2, 1-0 CCC) fought off a pesky Endicott squad that forced five turnovers down the stretch and hit their late-game free throws to earn the win. 

Crough, competing in her first game of the season, hit 5-of-15 attempts from the floor and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line as she led the Gulls with 14 points in 23 minutes.  White put in her highest point total of the season with 11 points while grabbing 11 boards, four offensive, with three assists and three steals. 

Salve Regina's senior center Lindsay Shorey (Ashland, Mass.) led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.  Shorey perhaps made her biggest impact on the defensive end with nine blocked shots, part of a 14-block effort by the Seahawks. 

Shorey was complemented by junior guard Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.) whose 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals contributed to Salve's winning effort.  Birrell hit 6-of-13 shot attempting including 2-of-5 from beyond the three-point line. 

The Seahawks as a team shot 35% from the floor.  Endicott held a 54-50 advantage on the glass, including a dominant 23-14 edge on the offensive boards.  Both teams committed 16 turnovers in the game. 

Gulls sophomore forward Jordan Ferland (Charlestown, N.H.) and freshman forward Kayleen Whall (Foxboro, Mass.) both nearly reached double-double status as Ferland went for 10 points and eight rebounds while Whall added eight points and 11 caroms in the loss.

Endicott moves on to face CCC rival Roger Williams on Saturday, December 3^rd at MacDonald Gymnasium.  Tip-off is at 1:00 pm.