Grumblatt Breaks Scoring Record as Women’s Basketball Runs Past NEC

Photo Credit - Gabby Cabral

NASHUA, N.H. — Graduate student Lyric Grumblatt made history on Saturday afternoon, surpassing head coach Deanna Purcell '15 as the Rivier women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer, helping the Raiders to a 73-51 victory over New England Col. in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at the Muldoon Center. Purcell's record of 2,192 points had previously stood since the end of the 2014-15 campaign.

The victory marked the Raiders' third straight conference win, bringing their

Second Half Surge Lifts Keene State Women's Basketball Past Worcester State

Photo, Recap Courtesy of Keene State

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - The Keene State women's basketball team used a second half surge to pulll away from Worcester State for a 68-46 win on Saturday afternoon at the Courtyard Marriot Tournament, hosted by Wesleyan.

Records

Keene State: 4-3, 0-0 LEC
Worcester State: 3-5, 0-0 MASCAC
Tale of the Tape

The Owls dominated in almost every statistical category, as Keene State shot a season-high 24-of-58 (41.4%) from the field and gathered 38 rebounds. Worcester State went 17-of-46 (37.0%) from the field and collected 35 rebounds. The Owls also had an edge in the paint, earning 30 points to the Lancers' 18.

Senior forward Stephanie D'Annolfo led Keene State with 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting and five rebounds, while junior guard Sandi Purcell followed with 11 points. Senior forward Amanda Petrow pulled down a game-high seven rebounds.

For the Lancers, Kaitlyn Berkel netted a game-high 15 points with five rebounds, while Bianca Langford had five rebounds off the bench.

First and Second Quarters

The Owls jumped out to a 5-0 lead to begin the first before a basket by Tanajia Smith put the Lancers on the board.

Sparked by a layup from freshman forward Rachel Bonnanzio, Keene State went on a 9-0 run to earn a 12-point lead, 14-2, with 4:52 remaining in the first.

A free throw and layup by Langford cut the Worcester State deficit to nine, but a layup by sophomore forward Josie Amerson kept the Owls lead to double-digits, and the two teams traded baskets to end the first, 18-7, Keene State.

The second quarter began with back-and-forth baskets, capped off by a layup by D'Annolfo with 5:12 left, putting the Owls up 25-11.

Worcester State used a 10-0 run to end the second, as Brianna Hackett hit a three-pointer with 33 seconds on the clock to bring the Lancers within four going into halftime, 25-21, Keene State.
Third and Fourth Quarters

The Owls opened the quarter with a 13-2 run, as they regained their double-digit lead off of a layup from D'Annolfo and went up 13 points off of a layup from junior guard Lydia Vital, as Keene State held a 36-23 lead.

A basket beyond the arc from freshman guard Hien Thach with 1:59 remaining pushed the Owls' lead to 21 points, yet the Lancers responded with a 7-0 run to end the third, 49-33, Keene State.

Sophomore guard Emily McPadden put up a three-pointer early in the fourth, before two free throws from Vital maintained the Owls' 20-point difference with 6:06 on the clock.

In the remaining minutes, the Owls were able to keep ahead by at least 18 points, as sophomore guard Emily Kreidler capped of the Keene State tally with four free throws.

Up Next

The two teams will meet again in the upcoming days, as Keene State returns to Spaulding Gym on Tuesday, December 6th to host Worcester State at 6 pm for a non-conference tilt.

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.

Belanger Scores 23, Women's Hoops Falls to Maine in AE Quarterfinals

Binghamton, N.Y.  – Senior guard Elizabeth Belanger (Acton, Mass.) closed out her career with a team-high 23 points, but the UNH women's basketball dropped its America East quarterfinal game with Maine, 58-47, on Saturday at the Events Center at Binghamton University.

The Wildcats closed the season with a 12-18 overall record. Maine improved to 25-7 with its 13^th straight win and advances to the semifinals on Sunday.

Belanger moved up another spot on both UNH's career scoring and rebounding lists. She finishes No. 5 in scoring with 1,453 points and No. 7 in rebounding with 703. She is one of three Wildcats in program history to score more than 1,400 points and grab more than 700 rebounds.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Belanger scored more than 20 points for the third straight game and 12^th time this season.
• Her 23 points gave her 513 points for the season, the eighth best single-season total in school history.
• Sophomore Carlie Pogue (Cincinnati, Ohio) joined Belanger in double figures with 11 points.
• Pogue led the Wildcats in rebounds with six.
• Freshman forward Ashley Storey (Cumberland, Maine) had six points and four rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UNH stayed with the Black Bears, who went 15-1 in America East during the regular season, throughout the game.

The Wildcats trailed 33-27 at the half. Baskets by Belanger and Storey cut Maine's lead to 39-36 after three periods.

A layup and foul shot by sophomore guard Peyton Booth (Wadsworth, Ohio) again made it a three-point game at 46-43 with 4:43 to play. Sigi Koizar, who led Maine with 23 points, answered with her own basket and foul shot.

UNH pulled to within 51-47 when Belanger banked in a shot in the lane with 1:11 to go. Liz Wood responded with a bucket inside and Maine closed it out with foul shots.


-POSTGAME NOTES-


UNH STARTERS (SEASON/CAREER STARTS)

So. G Peyton Booth (18/18)
So. C Carlie Pogue (29/37)
Fr. F Ashley Storey (17/17)
Sr. G Elizabeth Belanger (30/106)
So. G Aliza Simpson (27/49)

GROUP'S RECORD: 5-7

SERIES INFO

Maine leads the series 51-30.

TEAM NOTES
 

• The Wildcats made 45.5 percent (20-for-44) of their field goals.
• Maine owned a 22-12 advantage in points in the paint.
• Maine had a 37-22 edge in rebounds.
• The Wildcats were 2-for-13 in three-point shots.
• Maine was 3-for-15 from behind the arc.
• Maine had an 11-2 edge in points from bench players.
• The Wildcats were 5-for-8 from the foul line.
• The Black Bears made 17 of their 24 free throws.
• UNH was called for 20 fouls, Maine for 11.  

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

UNH

Elizabeth Belanger: 23 points / 10-for-19 field goals / 5 rebounds
Ashley Storey: 6 points / 4 rebounds
Carlie Pogue: 11 points / 6 rebounds
Peyton Booth: 5 points / 2 rebounds

Maine

Sigi Koizar: 23 points / 3 rebounds / 4 assists
Liz Wood: 13 points / 10 rebounds
Mikaela Gustafsson: 9 points / 6 rebounds
Chantel Charles: 7 points / 3 rebounds