Seahawks slip in semifinals

BIDDEFORD, Maine  - Sophomore Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) poured in a game-high 23 points but the number-one seeded University of New England ended the Salve Regina women's basketball season with a 59-49 victory in the semifinals of the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament.

Tied 44-44 with 7:35 to play in the second half, the Nor'easters used a 15-5 run to close out the game and defeat the Seahawks 59-49. Junior Kelly Coleman (Portland, Conn.) kicked off the run with a pair of free throws. After six-straight UNE points, freshman Kelsey Kennedy (Medford, N.J.) broke up the Nor'easters scoring hitting the back end of a pair of free throws to cut the UNE lead to 50-45 with 3:20 to play.

The Nor'easters used a six unanswered points over the final 1:50 to take a 12-point lead, 59-47, their largest lead of the game before Harden scored her final two points of the game on a layup with four seconds left on the clock to bring the score to its final, 59-49.

The first half was a tightly contested back-and-fourth battle. The lead changed hands six times over the first 4:20 to open the game. After a layup from senior Marissa Pendergast (Medfield, Mass.) gave the Seahawks their third lead of the game, 7-6. The Nor'easters cut the lead to one, 11-10, before Harden and senior Lisa Bucci (Irvington, N.Y.) hit back-to-back shots, Bucci's from beyond the arc to give Salve Regina its biggest lead of the game, 16-10.

UNE chipped away at the Salve Regina lead with an 8-0 run to retake the lead, 18-16 with just over five minutes to play. Harden scored Salve Regina's next six points to tie the game for the fourth time, 22-22 with 1:15 left.

Sophomore Sadie DiPierro (S. Portland, Maine) hit a three pointer to give the Nor'easters their largest lead of the half, 25-22 with 25 seconds to play before freshman Jillian Woodward (Orono, Maine) hit a jumper right before the buzzer to send the two teams into the locker room separated by just one point, 25-24 in favor of UNE.

The Nor'easters came out of half time and scored seven straight to push their lead to 31-24 to open the second. The Seahawks chipped away at the lead and a three from Harden tied the game at 33-33 with 12:01 to play. Bucci's second three pointer of the game at 10:24 gave the Seahawks their first lead of the second half, 38-37.

A three pointer from freshman Kate Sawyer (Minot, Mass.) tied the game for the seventh time before Pendergast and junior Laura Anne Dinan (Montery, Mass.) scored back-to-back buckets to give Salve Regina a 44-40 lead with 8:40 left. The Nor'easters then went one their 15-5 run to seal the semifinal victory.

Harden led all players with 23 points and is now just seven points shy of 1,000 in her young career as a Seahawk. Coleman added 20 points to lead the Nor'easters. Pendergast finished the game with a double-double, leading the game with 12 rebounds and added 10 points. Freshman Alicia Brown (Greenland, N.H.) and sophomore Lauren Hayden (Chantilly, Va.) led the Nor'easters with 10 rebounds a piece.

The Nor'easter will go on to play Roger Williams in the CCC title match at 2 p.m. on Saturday while the Seahawks end their season at 14-13.