Eastern Nazarene wins for the first time at Rodgers Recreation Center, 51-49

SEAHAWK WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RESULTS

Eastern Nazaarene 51, Salve Regina 49
Newport, R.I. - Rodgers Recreation Center
Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Link to box score
http://www.salveathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2015-16/boxscores/20160202_lpqm.xml

NEWPORT, R.I. - Sophomore guard Jaysa Cooper (Frisco, Texas) led all players with 18 points as Eastern Nazarene College defeated Salve Regina University, 51-49, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball action at the Rodgers Recreation Center. Salve Regina's Allyson Esielionis (Shirley, Mass.) bid for a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win bounced off the front rim.

Series and Streaks
Salve Regina owns a 35-10 mark in the all-time series, but Eastern Nazarene has won the last three meetings. The Lions had been 0-13 in the Rodgers Recreation Center.

Three Stars of the Game
1 – Eastern Nazarene sophomore Jaysa Cooper (Frisco, Texas) - had game-highs in points (18) and rebounds (10) while making five of 10 from the floor and eight of 10 from the free throw line.
2 – Salve Regina junior Jillian Woodward (Orono, Maine) - scored 16 points while shooting a perfect eight of eight free throws. She matched Esielionis with a team-high eight rebounds.
3 – Salve Regina senior Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) - matched Woodward with a team-high 16 points. She also contributed six rebounds and seven assists.

Key Stat of the Game
The Lions won the battle of the boards (46 to 36) and also had 15 more free throw attempts than the Seahawks. Salve Regina shot better from the line, eight of 11 (.727) compared to 18 of 26 (.692). Points off the bench - ENC (34), SRU (4)

Turning Point
Harden hit a game-tying jumper (49-49) from the baseline in front of her bench with 15 seconds left, but Cooper got ahead of the pack and was fouled on a breakaway layup attempt. Cooper made both free throws at the 11 second mark, while Harden left the game with her fifth personal foul. Esielionis squared up for a good look at the basket from behind the arc and just missed.

Quick Hits

• Salve Regina erased a six-point halftime deficit and tied the game at 36 heading into the final quarter. Woodward scored 12 of the Seahawks' 19 points in the 3rd quarter.
• When Woodward checked out with four personal fouls (6:26 left in 4th), Salve Regina was eight for 11 from the free-throw line - Woodward was eight for eight.
• Eastern Nazarene came into the game with no individual scoring over 10 points per game, but still have a higher scoring average than Salve Regina (61.7 ppg vs. 55.1 ppg).
• Salve Regina opened the 4th quarter with a 7-2 run with layups from Esielionis and Harden, and a 3-pointer from Esielionis, to take a five-point lead, 43-38.
• Eastern Nazarene senior Elia Salazar (Los Angeles, Calif.) pulled down seven rebounds and made three steals.

Quotes
"After the game when I went downstairs and talked with the players, I actually was very pleased with their performance in a lot of different ways. I thought we played great defense with the exception of transition. Defending players that were a lot quicker than we were, more athletic than us. We were trying to go big inside which burned us with their fast break." - Salve Regina head coach Cori Hughes

"Whenever they (ENC head coach Sacha Sammartino) do the scout on us, she tells her players, 'You're going to have to outwork her (Madelyn Brackett) and good luck doing that, because you can't outwork her.'  There's not anybody that I've coached in my entire career that works harder, minute for minute, than Maddie. And she's not just a game performer, she brings it to practice everyday." - Hughes commenting on her senior guard from Coopersville, Mich.

Next up
Salve Regina (7-13; 6-7 CCC) – Saturday, February 6 at Gordon College, 1 p.m.
Eastern Nazarene (12-8; 7-6 CCC) – Saturday, February 6 vs. Wentworth Institute of Technology, 1 p.m.