Harden's 30 points puts Seahawks in third straight final

BRISTOL, R.I. – Third-seeded Salve Regina University women's basketball makes its third straight trip to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship Game after knocking off second-seeded Roger Williams University, 69-48, in the semifinal Thursday night in Bristol. The Seahawks, who have won the last two CCC titles at home, will now travel to the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, for the championship game on Saturday, February 23, 2013, at 2 p.m.

Salve Regina took control of the game early, outscoring and playing strong defense to hold the Hawks to a score of 11-2 in the first five minutes. Sophomore Brianna Del Valle (Belchertown, Mass.) and junior Marissa Pendergast (Medfield, Mass.) were forces on the boards for Salve Regina, each pulling down six rebounds in the first half.

The Hawks battled their way back into the game as a 3-pointer from Elizabeth Kilzi (Waverly, Pa.) and a layup from Kaityln Bovee (Berlin, Conn.) brought the Hawks within two (11-9) with 10:35 remaining in the first half. Seahawk senior Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.), the conference's Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, and Pendergast helped to give the Seahawks an eight-point advantage with a pair of jumpers to take a 21-13 lead over the Hawks with 4:25 remaining in the first.

RWU found a way to answer with a pair of 3-pointers from Angelica Ariola (Prospect, Conn.) and Kilzi to close within one point (21-20) with only 3:37 remaining. Salve Regina was able to once again fend off the oncoming attack with a pair of jumpers from Del Valle to hold onto a 25-21 lead at the half.

The Seahawks came out strong again after the break as Del Valle and Pendergast increased the lead over the Hawks to nine points (33-25) with 16:04 remaining in the game. The Hawks once again found themselves trying to play catch-up as Ariola and Kilzi brought RWU back again within three with a quick lay-up and 3-pointer cutting the score to 32-26 with 13:18 left to play.

The Seahawks were not willing to give up the advantage easily as they once again surged in front of the Hawks by going on a 16-3 run with Rookie of the Year Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) leading the charge for Salve Regina, making the score 52-37 with 8:46 remaining in the game. The Hawks dug in and tried to find a way to bring themselves back into the game as a late jumper from Alexandria Lanieri (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) brought the Hawks within nine, but late free throws and strong defense helped Salve Regina hold RWU at bay.

Harden led the Seahawks with a career-high 30 points, five rebounds, and went a perfect 10-10 on the free-throw line. Del Valle came away with a double-double, scoring 21 points and 12 total rebounds. 

Bovee also racked up a double-double in her efforts for the Hawks, scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds. Lanieri was the second-leading scorer for RWU with 12 points and Kilzi contributed 10 points for the Hawks. 

Top-seeded University of New England went unbeaten in regular-season conference play, including a sweep of two games with Salve Regina, and advanced to its third title game in the last four years with a 69-48 semifinal victory over fifth-seeded Endicott College.

Watch highlights from the Seahawk semifinal win: