Birrell bounces back with career-high in win over Lions

QUINCY, Mass. - Salve Regina University junior guard Kaitlyn Birrell (Scituate, R.I.) led all players with her career-high 21 points while adding eight steals, five assists, and four rebounds in a 58-49 victory over Eastern Nazarene College in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action.

Just 48 hours earlier, Birrell experienced season lows in minutes played (15) and assist/turnover ratio (0.2) in a 55-51 home loss to Western New England. Those numbers were due in large part to Birrell picking up her fourth personal foul early in the second half. When Birrell was whistled for her fourth at the 14:39 mark, it was only the fourth team foul for Salve Regina in the entire game.

Birrell led both lineups with 36 minutes Thursday night versus the Lions. Her first-half stats included a 3-pointer among her five field goals. Her teammates added five other field goals with three of those assisted by Birrell. Salve Regina led by 10 (30-20) at the half.

A 19-7 run to open the second half found Salve Regina with its largest lead of the game, 22 points (49-27). Birrell led the Seahawks with six points during the stretch. Junior forward Allison Pigoga (Exeter, R.I.) scored five in the run including an old-fashioned three-point play.

Pigoga's jumper in the paint at the 10:05 mark was the last field goal for Salve Regina (12-8; 9-4 CCC). The Seahawks made nine free throws in the final nine minutes with six coming from sophomore forward Marissa Pendergast (Medfield, Mass.). Pendergast finished with 12 points and team-high seven rebounds.

Eastern Nazarene (9-10; 6-6 CCC), swept in the season series with Salve Regina, got double-double efforts from two players - Alexis Malloy (17 pts, 11 rbs) and Dianna Bonds (11 pts, 11 rbs). The Lions finished the game with their own 22-9 run.

Salve Regina continues with the middle game of its three-game road trip when it travels to Milton, Mass., for a doubleheader with Curry College on Saturday.