Feb. 21, 2009
BEVERLY, Mass. - The Endicott College women's basketball team cruised to a 69-46 victory over visiting Curry College on Saturday afternoon in the regular season finale for the Gulls. Endicott won its 12th-straight game and improved to a program-record 21-4 - wrapping up its TCCC record at 12-1 - while the Colonels drop to 9-16 (5-8 TCCC). The Gulls have wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming The Commonwealth Coast Conference playoffs and will host a Quarterfinal game on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. against Regis College.
The Gulls took the lead right out of the gates and never looked back as Endicott jumped all over Curry in the first six minutes of play, taking a 9-4 advantage on a layup by Ceciley Chisholm (Lexington, Mass.). Curry responded with a small run of its own to claw within one on a jumper by Heather King (West Newbury, Mass.).
However, the Gulls would go on an 11-0 run to make the game 23-11 on a free throw by Nicole Duchesne (Plaistow, N.H.). The Colonels would only get as close as nine in the following minutes, as Endicott built a comfortable lead on a 22-6 run and entered the half leading, 45-20.
Endicott scored 22 points off 17 Curry turnovers in the first frame. The Gulls also raced past the Colonels for eight fast-break points compared to none for the visitors.
It would be more of the same in the second half as the Gulls controlled the tempo and kept the Colonels at bay. The Gulls built leads in excess of 27 points before an and-one layup by Emma Dickson (North Yarmouth, Maine) cut the Endicott lead to 17 with fewer than four minutes to play. The Gulls would continue to milk the clock and close out the game by hitting their freethrows, making the final tally 69-46.
Endicott honored its seniors in the final regular season home game for Nicole Duchesne, Jenna Cosgrove (Sharon, Mass.) and Nicole Young (Rockland, Mass.). Duchesne led all scorers with 17 points while Cosgrove chipped in with three assists and Nicole Young had seven points and four rebounds. Ceciley Chisholm joined Duchesne in double figures with 12 points and led the Gulls with five rebounds.
Curry was led by 13 points from Heather King as well as five points and nine rebounds from Jennifer Olejnik (Salem, Mass.).
The Blue and Green will host a Quarterfinal TCCC playoff game on Tuesday in Beverly, Mass. at 7:00 p.m. against Regis College. Endicott defeated the Pride earlier this season on February 7th, 78-72, in Beverly, Mass. Curry has also clinched the final playoff seed in the TCCC and will travel to No. 1 seed Nichols College on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
