Women’s Basketball Edged by Endicott, 61-59

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team suffered a 61-59 setback to Endicott in a nail-biter Thursday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

The Lions slip to 8-8 on the season and 2-7 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the loss. The Gulls improve to 8-7 overall and 6-3 in conference competition with the win.

Alyssa Cosio Murillo (Santa Barbara, Calif.) poured in a career-high 24 points and pulled in five rebounds. Michelle Detwiler (Elkhart, Ind.) notched eight points and nine boards on the night. Seniesha Sekaquaptewa (Scottsdale, Ariz.) finished with eight points and eight rebounds while Shelby Holmes (Seeley Lake, Mont.) chipped in with six points and eight boards.

The home team raced out to a 12-6 advantage with 4:37 remaining in the first quarter on a free throw by Holmes.

The visitors closed out the opening period with five consecutive points to cut Eastern Nazarene's lead to 12-11.

The two teams traded baskets and control of the lead through the first six minutes of action in the second quarter.

Endicott built up a four-point margin with 2:15 left to play in the half as Catie Lipscomb capped off a three-point play from the free throw stripe, 23-19.

The Lions battled back to level the game at 25-25 just before the break on a basket by Cosio Murillo.

Eastern Nazarene shot 28.1% from the floor and connected on just 1-of-6 from behind the arc in the first half. Endicott posted a field-goal percentage of 39.3% at the break to go with 1-for-7 shooting from three-point range.

Cosio Murillo poured in 15 points in the opening two quarters to lead the Lions while Holmes hauled in six boards.

The home side constructed a 33-28 lead with 6:56 left to play in the third quarter as Kayla Torio (Manteca, Calif.) sank a pair of free throws.

The guests knotted the score at 39-39 on a layup by Cassandra Stapelfeld with 3:13 on the clock.

The Gulls went up by two as the third period came to an end as Mikaela Rogers knocked down a jumper, 45-43.

Endicott extended the gap to six with 3:20 remaining in regulation on a layup by Rogers, 57-51.

Eastern Nazarene clawed back to tie the game at 59-59 on a layup by Detwiler with 1:38 left to play.

The visitors answered with a lay-in by Stapelfeld with 1:07 on the clock that would prove to be the deciding-basket as Endicott escaped with the win.

The Lions shot 36.7% from the floor on the night to go with just 3-of-12 shooting from long distance. The Gulls concluded the contest with a field-goal percentage of 47.5% and sank 2-of-12 from beyond the three-point line.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene travels to Western New England January 20.