BOSTON, Mass. – Led by senior Beth Suggs' (Bath, Me.) team-high 13 points and nine rebounds, the University of New England women's basketball team topped Wentworth Institute of Technology, 59-43, on Wednesday evening at Tansey Gymnasium. With the win the Nor'easters have now won eight straight contests and remain undefeated in Commonwealth Coast Conference play at 9-0 (13-4 overall).
The Nor'easters found themselves behind early as senior Jordan Biggar (Beverly, Mass) would sink a layup to put the Leopards up 12-8 with 11:15 remaining in the half. Biggar was the leading scorer for Wentworth on the night, registering 12 points off the bench.
UNE went on an 18-2 run capped by a Sadie DiPierro (South Portland, Me.) three-pointer and led 26-14 with 3:15 left. The Leopards would cut the lead to as few as eight on a junior Ashley Stowe (Voluntown, Conn.) jumper with 1:32 left and trailed by 10 (28-18) at the break.
Kendra Dawless (West Greenwich, R.I.) scored all eight of her points in the first half for UNE, while Biggar led the Leopards at the break with six.
Wentworth would cut the lead to as little as six in the early goings of the second half. Ashley Conway (Danvers, Mass.) sunk a three to make it 31-25 in favor of the Nor'easters. Conway finished with nine points while leading the defensive effort for the Leopards with five steals.
From that point on the Nor'easters would take control and push the lead above double digits. Kelly Coleman (Portland, Conn.) who finished as the Nor'easters second leading scorer with 12, sunk two free throws to push the lead to 12, making it 51-39, with just under six minutes to go. Neither team would score a point over the final 3:04
DiPierro scored all nine of her points from behind the arc and had a pair of steals. Freshman Lauren Hayden (Chantilly, Va.) had six steals, while freshman Meghan Gribbin (Windham, Maine) had eight points, four assists, and three steals.
Kendra Kerr (Marshfield, Mass.) dropped seven points in the losing effort, while grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. Rachael Camara (Fall River, Mass.) also scored seven while doling out four assists.
With the loss Wentworth falls to 7-10 on the year and 2-8 in CCC action.
Both teams continue CCC play on Saturday as the Nor'Easters host Salve Regina and Wentworth is at Eastern Nazarene.
