BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Meghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) was one of two Salve Regina women's basketball players to record a double-double as she scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help pace the Seahawks to a 57-45 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in a Commonwealth Coast Conference contest played at Tansey Gymnasium.
Winners of three straight Salve Regina improves to 10-13 overall and 9-7 in league play while the Leopards fall to 6-17 (2-14).
The Seahawks had a pair of four-point leads in the opening quarter, including when sophomore Allyson Esielionis (Shirley, Mass.) hit a jumper with 4:40 left to make it a 7-3 contest. Senior Rachael Camara (Fall River, Mass.) countered with a jumper of her own on the next possession to slice the deficit in half, however Salve Regina scored the last five points of the quarter and led 12-5 after the first 10 minutes.
Wentworth opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run and took a 13-12 lead on a Camara transition layup with 5:11 left in the half. The two teams traded baskets and senior Madelyn Brackett (Coopersville, Mich.) hit one of two free throws to even the score at 15-all with 4:15 left. Camara drained a three to give the hosts an 18-15 lead, however the Seahawks closed out the half on an 8-0 run – capped by a Harden layup that beat the buzzer – and led, 23-18, at the break.
Senior Carly Rogers (Scarborough, Maine) made a layup and Camara drained a three to even the score early in the third quarter before a 10-3 Seahawk spurt gave Salve Regina a 33-26 lead with 5:42 remaining. Wentworth trimmed the deficit to four on three occasions, including when senior Megan McLaughlin (Southington, Conn.) hit a three with 26 seconds left and Wentworth trailed, 40-36, at the end of the third.
A 7-1 Salve Regina run opened the fourth quarter and was capped off by Harden hitting a shot from behind the arc. Wentworth pulled within five twice, including on a jumper from Rogers with 2:49 remaining, however a freshman Kerri Beland (Attleboro, Mass.) three with 2:32 left made it an eight-point game and the Seahawks extended their lead by limiting Wentworth to just one point over the final 2:32.
Junior Jillian Woodward (Orono, Maine) had 13 points and 15rebounds for Salve Regina which also received 12 points from Esielionis.
Camara led the Leopards with 21 points to go along with eight rebounds while Rogers had 11 points and 10 rebounds. McLaughlin finished with eight points and eight assists. These three, along with classmate Helena Kiritsy (Boylston, Mass.) were honored prior to the game as a part of senior day festivities.
Wentworth is at Endicott Tuesday night. That same night, Salve Regina hosts Western New England.
