Lions lifted by Oviatt's 18 in non-league win

NEWPORT, R.I. (November 27, 2021) - Eastern Nazarene College (6-2) outscored Salve Regina University (1-5) in each quarter, but it was the 21-14 third quarter that made the biggest difference as the Lions defeated the Seahawks, 71-59, in non-league women's basketball at the Rodgers Recreation Center on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors erupted out of the gate with a 7-0 lead in the first minute of play and forcing three turnovers. After Amanda Folan (North Attleboro, Mass.) stole an interior pass from the Lions, Gabby Sousa (Hudson, N.H.) fed Megan Henaghan (Whitman, Mass.) from the baseline to the top left of the key for the first Seahawk points of the game. A 3-pointer from Morgan Shuey (Corning, Iowa) at 4:04 in the first brought the Seahawks within two (11-9) before Folan tied it on a fastbreak layup.

Eastern Nazarene led 16-15 after the first 10 minutes, but Shuey opened the second-quarter scoring with a layup and the first Salve Regina lead. Henaghan's offensive rebound and put back gave the Seahawks their largest lead of the game (22-19) at 6:52 in the period. Salve Regina had the advantage for nearly four straight minutes until Sydni Oviatt (Fruit Heights, Utah) hit a 3-pointer following the seventh Seahawk turnover (a shot-clock violation).

Sousa had tied the score at 30-30 in the final half minute of the opening half, but Oviatt finished the scoring with a pull-up jump shot from just outside the paint.

The Lions converted a Sophia Torres (Fort Mohave, Ariz.) steal into a basket for Alondra Jimenez (Santa Barbara, Calif.) to jump start a 6-0 run at the beginning of the second half. Folan's 3-pointer cut the run and the deficit to three (38-35) at 5:23 in the third before Oviatt's triple at 2:17 of the third capped an 8-0 run for Eastern Nazarene for the first double-digit advantage (48-37). Henaghan had a driving layup just before the buzzer to pull the Seahawks within single digits, 53-44, and then Henaghan scored the first basket of the fourth quarter that had Salve Regina as close as it would get for the remainder of the game, down seven points.

Torres scored eight of her team's 18 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 16 points on the afternoon. Oviatt topped all scores with 18 points including four treys. Janelle Jiron (Granada Hills, Calif.) and Jimenez joined Torres and Oviatt in double-figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. The Lions had more rebounds off their own missed shots (25) than the Seahawks could collect (19), but only outscored the Seahawks on second-chance points by three (19-16). Leading rebounders were Torres (nine), Jiron (nine), and Te'yalla Simpson (Fairfield, Texas) with eight boards.

Henaghan led Salve Regina with 15 points and six rebounds. Folan added 13 points, six rebounds, and six steals. Shuey and Hannah Autenrieth (Hooksett, N.H.) finished with a dozen points apiece. Eastern Nazarene outscored Salve Regina from the bench, 9-0.

The Seahawks open Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) slate when they welcome the Bison of Nichols College to the Rodgers Recreation Center on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.). Eastern Nazarene plays on the road at Middlebury (Vt.) with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off against the Panthers on Wednesday.