Seahawks win third straight in CCC play

NEWPORT, R.I. (December 9, 2021) - Four Seahawks scored in double-figures as Salve Regina University (4-5; 3-0 CCC) won its third straight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball game with an 80-73 final against visiting Nichols College (5-5, 1-2 CCC) at the Rodgers Recreation Center on Thursday evening.

The Seahawks and Bison met eight days after their originally scheduled contest and Nichols raced out to a 7-0 lead and later had a nine-point edge (15-6) after a 3-pointer from Leandra Ortiz (Ridgewood, N.J.). After the Seahawks trailed 17-8, Amanda Folan (North Attleboro, Mass.) drained a 3-pointer that kicked off a 13-0 run and Salve Regina took its lead (19-17, at 2:38 in the first) when Ashley Rourke (Londonderry, N.H.) made a corner trey with an assist from Megan Henaghan (Whitman, Mass.). Salve Regina never trailed and never tied after that.

Salve Regina had a three-point lead (25-22) after the first quarter and won the second quarter by seven, 21-14, to lead by 10 at the break (46-36). Rourke opened the scoring in the third quarter with an old-fashioned three-point play on a drive to the basket. Henaghan followed with an offensive put back plus a free throw and Salve Regina had 16-point lead, 52-36.

A steal and layup from Folan, with an assist by Morgan Shuey (Corning, Iowa), gave the Seahawks their largest lead of the game, 59-42, with 6:15 remaining in the third. Hadley Houghton's (Madison, Conn.) free throws under a minute left in the third were the final points of the period as the Bison finished with a 12-5 run to keep pace with the Seahawks.

The Bison opened the final period on a 16-7 run and closed within one point of the Seahawks, 71-70, after a free throw from Jillian Spillane (Paxton, Mass.) with just under four minutes remaining. Henaghan had three layups down the stretch while Briana Neary (Wayne, N.J.) and Shuey made some free throws as Salve Regina outscored Nichols, 9-3, in the final four minutes.

Salve Regina committed 41 turnovers while Nichols had 20 steals. Henaghan (21 points, 18 rebounds) and Rourke (20 points, 11 rebounds) both had double-doubles for Salve Regina while Spillane (16 points, 13 rebounds) did the same for Nichols.

Summer Klein (Stamford, Conn.) led all scorers with 25 points, and Ortiz was next on the Bison with 19 points. Shuey finished with 12 points, eight assists, five steals, and Neary had a 14-point night for the Seahawks.

Salve Regina travels to Norton, Mass., for a 1 p.m. tip-off with Wheaton College on Saturday. Nichols next plays on January 4 at Suffolk University.