3-pointer last basket to sink Seahawks in OT

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott women's basketball team hosted Salve Regina on Tuesday evening for a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) matchup. After a final seconds three-pointer in overtime from senior Katelyn Wright (Sudbury, Mass.), the Gulls avenged their earlier season loss and defeated the Seahawks 70-67. Also in the game senior Kayleen Whall (Foxboro, Mass.) made a career milestone as she banked her 1,000th point with her 14 point effort. Endicott improves to 10-9 (6-6 CCC) while Salve Regina falls to 11-9 (8-5 CCC).

Endicott will take the court next on Saturday, February 7, as they travel to Bristol, R.I., for a conference matchup with Roger Williams at 1 p.m. The Seahawks will also tip-off next on Saturday as they host CCC top team, UNE at 1 p.m.

Both sides fought back and forth for the entire 45 minutes of play as the lead changed nine times and the game was tied nine times. For the Gulls junior Nicole Catizone (Woburn, Mass.) led with her 22 point effort while Salve Regina's Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) posted the game high with 29 points. The Blue and Green produced one of their best games of the season leading in all scoring categories posting 43.1% from the field, 64.6% from long-range and 64.7% from the charity stripe.The Seahawks did out-rebound the Gulls 45-36 led by senior Brianna Del Valle (Belchertown, Mass.) who finished the night with an impressive 14 boards to give her a double-double effort with her 20 points. Harden followed suit with Del Valle by also putting up double figures in two categories with 11 boards to go with her 29 points.

The Blue and Green were led by their starting five as four of them all scored in double figures while both Wright and junior Kelsey Cuddy (Madison, Conn.) tied for a game high three steals. Cuddy also played stealthy defense leading the game with four blocks.

The first half as an absolute battle as Salve Regina just notched the two point advantage finishing with a 38-36 score led by a 17 point effort from Harden. Both sides put up impressive numbers as the Seahawks led the field with 50% while Endicott kept draining baskets from long range with a 45.5% mark led by scoring 2-of-3 from both Catizone and senior Carly Stauffer (Springfield, Vt.). The Blue and Green also controlled the charity stripe going 5-of-6 as a whole.

Throughout the first half the lead changed three times while the game was tied once. Endicott did fight back from an eight point deficit around the 13 minute mark to stay within two by the end of the half.In the second, the Blue and Green picked up their game playing gritty defense led by the four blocks and three steals from Cuddy, while Catizone posted eight points shooting 3-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from outside the arc. For the Seahawks, Harden kept them in the game with her eight points while Del Valle led the half in rebounds with nine.

Both sides decreased their shooting slightly from the first but the Gulls still led in all categories while holding the talented Seahawks long-range shooting to zero three-pointers in the half. By the 13:59 minute mark Endicott had fully caught up to Salve Regina with a 46-46 score. In the next play, Whall would break the tie as she drove to the basket and put up the layup for her 1,000th point and finished it off with an old fashion three-point play from the free-throw line. Whall now becomes just the 10th player in program history to reach the career milestone.

Endicott continued to work their offensive pressure with two huge treys from Catizone in the final minutes of the half but in the final seconds junior Madelyn Brackett (Coopersville, Mich.) sent the game into overtime with a clutch layup.

In the overtime both sides were going bucket for bucket and with 33 seconds left on the clock the game was at a stalemate, 67-67. As the clock was ticking down Endicott had the ball and had just enough time for one more play as ball handler Wright controlled a crisp feed from freshman Hannah Shaw (Bar Harbor, Maine) and sent the shot up from beyond the arc to claim the 70-67 victory.