Women’s Basketball Drops Nail-Biter to Curry, 64-63

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team absorbed a narrow 64-63 loss to Curry Wednesday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

The Lions dip to 10-8 on the year and 5-6 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the result. The Colonels progress to 8-10 overall and 5-6 in league action.

BreAnna Fraser (Henderson, Nev.) led all players with 17 points off the bench while registering five boards and four assists. Celina Calderon (Lompoc, Calif.) scored 14 points and came up with five steals. Jasmine Mata (Santa Barbara, Calif.) recorded 11 points and three assists off the bench while Elia Salazar (Los Angeles, Calif.) racked up nine rebounds and six points.

The guests chalked up the first nine points of the game before the home team cut the deficit to six, 11-5, with 6:22 left to play in the first quarter on a three-pointer by Fraser.

Curry widened its gap to 13 on a trey by Emily Irwin with 3:34 to go, 18-5.

Eastern Nazarene trailed by a dozed at the conclusion of the first period, 23-11.

The Lions trimmed the margin to four points with 6:19 left in the second stanza as Mata knocked down a three-pointer, 25-21.

The Colonels restored their advantage to double-digits with 5:30 remaining in the quarter on a triple by Alyssa Keeney, 31-21.

The hosts pulled to within seven at intermission after Fraser and Mata each converted a pair of free throws in the final 1:20 of the second period, 39-32.

Eastern Nazarene shot 27.6% from the floor in the opening half and 43.8% from three-point range. Curry sported a field-goal percentage of 51.7% at the break to go with 50% shooting from beyond the arc.

Calderon paced the Lions with nine first-half points while Fraser and Mata each registered eight points.

The home side drained back-to-back triples to kick-off the third quarter as Calderon and Fraser each splashed a trey to slice the deficit to 39-38.

A three-pointer by Christina Deiorio stretched Curry's lead back to double-figures with 4:12 to go in the third, 53-41.

The Colonels held a 13-point advantage heading into the fourth frame.

Eastern Nazarene clawed back to narrow the gap to one point with 2:52 remaining in regulation. Kristina Kaczmarek (Chatsworth, Calif.) banked in a layup to cut the deficit to 62-61.

After Curry's Shannon Griffith sank two free throws, Fraser drilled a jumper from the top of the key to pull the Lions to within one with 1:56 to go, 64-63.

The hosts came up empty on three chances in the final minute including a last-second attempt for the win. Eastern Nazarene finished with a 16-4 edge in fourth-quarter scoring.

The Lions connected on 31.7% of their field-goal attempts in the contest including 35.7% from long range.  The Colonels shot 47.2% from the floor and 40% the perimeter.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene looks to snap its three-game skid with a road game at Gordon January 30.