Eastern Nazarene slips by Salve Regina, 58-55

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team edged Salve Regina 58-55 in a thriller Wednesday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

The Lions improve to 9-9 on the year and 3-8 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the win. The Seahawks fall to 9-8 overall and 6-5 in league action with the loss.

Michelle Detwiler (Elkhart, Ind.) posted her third double-double of the year with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Kayla Torio (Manteca, Calif.) finished with 12 points, eight boards, and four assists. Alyssa Cosio Murillo (Santa Barbara, Calif.) also tallied 12 points on the night while Shelby Holmes (Seeley Lake, Mont.) chipped in with 14 rebounds and seven points.

The visitors sprinted out to an 11-4 lead with 6:55 remaining in the first quarter on a three-pointer by Mary Eden (So. Kingstown, R.I.). Salve Regina held a five-point edge through 10 minutes of play, 18-13.

Eastern Nazarene battled back to capture a 25-20 lead with 2:48 left to play in the second frame as Cosio Murillo knocked down a jumper. The Lions carried a 28-23 advantage into the halftime intermission.

Eastern Nazarene shot 30.3% from the floor in the first half and connected on 3-of-10 from beyond the arc. Salve Regina sported a field-goal percentage of 23.1% at the break to go with 1-for-5 shooting from three-point range.

Cosio Murillo paced the home team with eight points while Kayla Torio netted seven points in the opening two quarters of action. The Seahawks started the third quarter with a 9-2 run to claim a narrow 32-31 lead with 6:16 left to play in the period. The Lions regained the lead on their ensuing possession and expanded the gap to 43-34 with 2:14 to go in the third. Neither squad chalked up points in the final two minutes of the third quarter as Eastern Nazarene held a 43-34 edge heading into the final frame.

The hosts stretched the margin to double-digits less than a minute into the fourth, 46-36, on a trey by Seniesha Sekaquaptewa (Scottsdale, Ariz.). The guests trimmed the deficit to 50-49 on a layup by Kerri Beland (Attleboro, Mass.) with 3:06 left to play in regulation. The Lions widened their lead to 54-49 with 2:10 remaining as Holmes splashed a three-pointer.

Eastern Nazarene converted 2-of-4 free throw attempts down the stretch to seal its third conference win of the year. The Lions finished with a field-goal percentage of 34.9% while shooting 22.7% from long distance. The Seahawks shot 29.4% from the floor on the night, including just 15.4% from behind the arc.