Feb. 25, 2006
NEW LONDON, NH - The Colby-Sawyer women's basketball team won its second straight Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship, defeating Endicott, 46-43, on Saturday afternoon in New London.
Anne Coulter came up big for the Chargers down the stretch, recording a blocked shot and a pair of defensive rebounds in the final 30 seconds as the Chargers held on to a slim lead.
With the game tied 41-41 with 3:03 to play, the Charger defense stiffened led by Stacey Hildreth, who blocked an Aubrey Drugan (Salem, NH/Bishop Guertin) shot - her sixth block of the afternoon - with 2:31 remaining. Coulter grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Drugan. In the one-and-one, Coulter missed the front end, but Endicott could not take advantage on two consecutive trips down the floor.
Kristen Sorensen put the hosts up for good, converting a conventional three-point play with 1:17 to play.
Endicott, which was making its first-ever CCC final appearance, cut the lead to 44-43 when Jodi Brown (Coventry, RI/Coventry) stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for a lay-up. Then Drugan nearly recorded a steal in the backcourt, but was whistled for a foul on Colby-Sawyer's Amy Beaton. Beaton went to the line and hit one of two, giving Colby-Sawyer a two point cushion.
Coulter fouled a player on Endicott's ensuing possession, but Endicott missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Gulls grabbed the offensive rebound but Liz Yuneman (Middle Village, NY/St. Francis Prep) was blocked by Coulter, who grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 10 seconds left.
Coulter would make the first of two free throws, putting the Chargers up, 46-43. After the second foul shot was missed Sorensen blocked a last-second shot by Brown to help the Chargers secure their second title in as many years.
Hildreth and Sorensen tied for team-high honors with 12 points each, while Hildreth added 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. Coulter ended up with six points and 16 rebounds, adding in three assists.
Brown led Endicott with 13 points while Yuneman added 10 points and freshman Hayley Janelle (Madbury, NH/Oyster River) dropped in eight for the Gulls, who fell to 18-10 on the year. Brown also recorded a game-high four steals and Drugan added three thefts.
Endicott shot just 27.6 percent in the game compared to Colby-Sawyer's 35.3 percent from the floor, but the guests were able to stay within striking distance by sinking 50 percent of their attempts from three-point land.
Colby-Sawyer (23-4) advances to its second straight NCAA Tournament and fifth in school history. Pairings for the tournament will be announced on Monday morning.
