No. 5 Women’s Basketball Shocks No. 4 Endicott in CCC Quarterfinals, 70-61

BEVERLY, Mass.- The fifth-seeded Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team ousted fourth-seeded Endicott 70-61 in the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament Tuesday evening.

The Lions improve to 18-8 on the year and advance to the semifinal round for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign. The Gulls finish with a 13-13 overall record.

Jaysa Cooper (Frisco, Texas) led all players with 20 second-half points off the bench while also adding five boards. BreAnna Fraser (Henderson, Nev.) poured in 16 points and dished out four assists. Shelby Holmes (Seeley Lake, Mont.) chipped in with 10 points and nine boards. Ashley Rendon (La Puente, Calif.) registered 10 points while Kayla Torio (Manteca, Calif.) netted eight points and hauled in a team-best 12 rebounds.

The visitors took an early 6-3 lead with 6:28 to go in the opening frame as Holmes knocked down a basket.

The home side claimed a one-point advantage with 4:09 remaining in the first period, 10-9.

Eastern Nazarene regained the lead with 1:53 left to play in the quarter on a trey by Holmes, 12-10.

The Lions clung to a narrow 15-14 edge after Fraser drained a three-pointer just before the conclusion of the first quarter.

Endicott established a five-point advantage with 7:58 to go in the second period, 22-17.

Eastern Nazarene clawed back to seize a 27-26 lead with 1:46 remaining in the first half as Rendon tossed in a layup.

The Gulls responded with a layup by Hannah Kiernan to carry a 28-27 edge into the halftime intermission.

Eastern Nazarene shot 32.3% from the floor and 41.7% from beyond the arc in the opening two periods. Endicott sported a field-goal percentage of 42.9% at the break to go with 1-for-5 shooting from the perimeter.

The hosts stretched the margin to four with three quick points to start the third period, 31-27.

The Lions answered with a pair of free throws from Torio and a bucket by Cooper to pull even at 31-31 with six minutes remaining in the third.

Eastern Nazarene reclaimed the lead with under five minutes left to play in the quarter on a layup by Holmes, 35-33.

The visitors widened the gap to six with 3:30 remaining in the third frame as Cooper sank a layup, 39-33.

The Lions boasted a 47-40 lead heading into the fourth quarter after outscoring the Gulls 20-12 in the third.

Eastern Nazarene extended its advantage to 54-40 with 7:52 remaining in regulation as Cooper converted four free throws in a row.

Endicott pulled to within nine on a trey by Gabriella Coppola with 3:26 left to play, 63-54.

Free throws by Fraser and Torio sealed the Lions' first playoff win since 1999-2000.

Eastern Nazarene shot 40.0% from the floor and 36.8% from three-point range. Endicott finished with a field-goal percentage of 42.4% to go with 3-for-14 shooting from long distance.

Up next, the Lions travel to top-seeded University of New England February 23 for a semifinal showdown.