BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Samantha Crough (Cohasset, Mass.) scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the first half to help the Endicott College women's basketball team to their third straight win, a 67-44 triumph over Wentworth Institute of Technology in Commonwealth Coast Conference action at Tansey Gymnasium.
With the win the Gulls improve to 13-4 overall and 8-2 in CCC play while the Leopards drop to 5-11 (2-8).
After Crough and senior Kendra Kerr (Marshfield, Mass.) traded baskets on each team's opening possession, Endicott took the lead for good on a senior Jennifer White (Lisbon, N.H.) basket 1:59 into the contest. Crough gave the Gulls a four-point advantage and the visitors would eventually lead 10-6 with 15:19 left.
Sophomore Carly Rogers (Scarborough, Maine) scored Wentworth's next three points as she hit one of two free throws and buried a baseline jumper to make it a one-point game (10-9) with 14:00 left.
Crough scored Endicott's next six points to up the lead to seven, and, after Wentworth scored four straight points to cut the lead to three, the Gulls used a 12-2 run to take a 13-point lead, capped off by a junior Kayleen Whall (Foxboro, Mass.) 3-pointer with just over six minutes remaining in the half.
Both teams would go nearly two minutes without scoring before a Kerr jumper made it a 28-17 game. However, the Gulls would score the final six points of the half and led, 34-17, at the break. Endicott shot 50 percent from the floor while holding Wentworth to 29.2 percent.
The Gulls scored the first six points of the second half to extend their lead to 23 and took their largest lead of the night (59-34) on a basket from freshman Lauren Iadarola (Tyngsboro, Mass.) with just over eight minutes left. Wentworth would get as close as 17 before Endicott took the 23-point win.
Crough finished 8-for-13 from the floor to go along with seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Whall was the only other Gull to score in double figures as she had 11 points to go along with six rebounds and two assists. Endicott held a 45-26 rebounding edge, scored 24 points off 17 Leopard turnovers, and got 25 points from its bench.
Kerr scored 15 points for the Leopards, while sophomore Megan McLaughlin (Southington, Conn.) had nine points and four assists. The Leopards were held to 30 percent shooting from the floor.
Both teams are in action on Wednesday night as Endicott hosts Gordon and Wentworth is at Salve Regina.
