Hawks outlast Seahawks in double overtime

BRISTOL, R.I. - Second-seeded Roger Williams University escaped an upset bid by seventh-seeded Salve Regina University in the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball championships, outlasting the Seahawks in double-overtime with a 51-47 final.

Roger Williams committed 24 turnovers in the game while shooting only .255 from the field (14-for-55). Salve Regina struggled as well throughout the game, giving up 29 turnovers while shooting 30.5 percent in the game (18-for-59).

The Hawks held a slim 14-13 lead after the first quarter, but fell behind 27-19 at halftime after going 2-for-12 from the field in the second quarter. Salve Regina held Roger Williams to only five points in the period to take the eight-point lead going into the break.

Roger Williams climbed back into the game in the third quarter, shooting 40 percent from the field and pulling to within three to make it 36-33 entering the final period.

The fourth quarter saw both teams struggle offensively, with Salve Regina only going 1-for-7 from the floor in the quarter. Roger Williams did not fare better, hitting only one of their 13 attempts in the quarter.

Both teams went scoreless over a six-minute stretch before Bridget Quilty (Duxbury, Mass.) gave Roger Williams a 39-38 lead with 2:10 left with a pair of free throws. Ally Esielionis (Shirley, Mass.) hit one of two free throws in the final minute to knot the game back up at 39. The Hawks had the final possession of the regulation but were unable to get a clean shot off to force overtime.

In the extra frame, the two squads went back and forth with three ties and two lead changes. Kerri Beland (Attleboro, Mass.) had the last basket in overtime, tying the game at 46 with a three with 1:26 left. A missed long 3-point attempt for Roger Williams in the final seconds forced double OT.

Salve Regina would be done in by a stalled offense in the second overtime period. The Seahawks scored only one point in the period, going 0-for-4 and committing four turnovers. Though Roger Williams also failed to score from the field in the frame, the Hawks still managed to sink five free throws to push their way towards the win.

Mariah Nicholas (Acushnet, Mass.) logged a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Quilty went for 11 points and five boards. Anna Walther (Northampton, Mass.) went for 11 points and four rebounds.

Mary Eden (S. Kingstown, R.I.) went for five points, seven assists, and 13 rebounds for Salve Regina. Liv Pierce (Tyngsborough, Mass.) added ten points and six boards off the bench.

Roger Williams (19-7) will host the #3 Western New England Thursday evening at 7:00 pm. The Golden Bears advanced to the CCC Semifinal after defeating #6 Curry College 57-39. Salve Regina ends the year at 10-16.