Keene State Women's Basketball Sets Wins Record, Reaches ECAC Final With 72-62 Win Over Endicott

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Sarah Kober scored a career high 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds as the Keene State College women's basketball team advanced to the ECAC New England championship game with a 72-62 win over Endicott College on Saturday at the Alumni Healthful Living Center at Western New England University on Saturday.
Records

• Keene State: 23-5
• Endicott: 17-12

Up Next

• Keene State is back in the ECAC championship game for the first time since 2012.  The Owls won their lone title in 2010.  Keene State will play either Western New England or Suffolk at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 6. 

Tale of the Tape

• Kober shot 8-for-15 from the floor, including her first career three pointer, and grabbed eight offensive rebounds with two steals and a block.   Stephanie D'Annolfo added 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks, and Kelsey Cognetta had 13 points.
• Sarah Hood had a team high 15 points for the Gulls.
• Keene State had a healthy 44-30 edge on the glass, including a 18-7 margin in offensive boards.
• The win sets a school record for victories in a season, surpassing the 22 games won by the 2006-07 squad.

First Half Highlights

• Kober and D'Annolfo combined to scored the first eight points for KSC, and the Owls took a 13-11 lead on Amanda Petrow's layup with 2:09 left in the first quarter.
• Hannah Shaw scored with 28 seconds left as KSC led 17-15 after one.
• Keene State led 25-22 after Kober's layup with 7:09 to play in the second half, but the Gulls went on a 10-6 burst over the next three minutes to take a 32-31 lead on two free throws by Kelsey Cuddy.
• KSC scored the final seven points of the half, taking a 38-32 lead into halftime when Kober beat the buzzer with her first career three pointer.

Second Half Highlights 

• Endicott hung around in the third quarter, taking a 44-43 lead on Catie Lipscomb's three with 4:55 to play.  Hood and D'Annolfo traded baskets before Gabriella Coppola scored with 1:50 left for a 50-49 Endicott lead
• Emily McPadden drained a three with 55 seconds to go as KSC led 52-50 after three.
• Endicott led 56-54 on Sam Charette's basket with 7:36 left, but KSC went on a 12-2 run as Cognetta made threes on two straight possessions and Kober scored on a jumper with 3:57 left for a 66-58 lead.
• Charette's hoop was the last field goal the Gulls would score, and Kober scored inside with 1:12 to go for a 72-62 lead before Lipscomb made two free throws for the final score.