Women’s Basketball Drops Narrow 69-63 Decision at Endicott

BEVERLY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene women's basketball team suffered a 69-63 setback in the regular season finale at Endicott Saturday afternoon. The Lions end the regular season with an 11-14 overall record and a 6-12 mark in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Gulls improve to 15-10 on the year and 11-7 in the league with the victory.

Eastern Nazarene finished the regular season slate in a three-way tie for sixth in the conference standings with Curry and Wentworth. Since all three teams own a 2-2 record against each other, the Lions escape the three-way tie with the #6 seed for the upcoming Commonwealth Coast Conference playoffs by virtue of a win over second-place Roger Williams earlier in the season.

Senior Mel Green (Annapolis, Md.) poured in a team-high 17 points off the bench while grabbing nine boards. Senior Ace Carradine (Honolulu, Hawaii) and junior Abbie Tonello (Bourne, Mass.) each scored 13 points for the visitors. Presley Neufeld (Seattle, Wash.) chipped in with eight points and four assists while Shardae Brown (Waterbury, Conn.) recorded eight points and six rebounds.

Eastern Nazarene quickly grabbed an 8-2 edge as Green banked in a lay-un with 15:53 left to play in the half. Green drained a trey with 14 minutes remaining to stretch the Lions' lead to 16-4.

Endicott outscored the visitors 9-3 in the final 4:12 of the first period to cut the deficit to three at intermission, 33-30. The Gulls' Jennifer White netted the hosts' final seven points of the half.

Green led the Lions with 13 first-half points and four rebounds. Tonello added seven points and five boards while Brown registered four points and five rebounds.

The visitors shot 43.3% from the floor in the first frame and 50.0% from long distance.

Endicott seized a one-point lead 2:11 into the second stanza as Julie Manning converted a pair of free throws, 36-35.

Eastern Nazarene regained the lead with 16:07 remaining as Green tossed in a lay-up, 39-38.

An 8-0 run by the Lions extended the margin to nine, 51-42, with 11:42 left to play. Carradine capped off the run with a jumper and two free throws.

Endicott tallied 10 unanswered points to level the game at 53-53 with 8:05 on the clock.

The Gulls snagged a 61-59 edge with 4:12 remaining as Samantha Crough knocked down a jump shot.

Neufeld sank a lay-in with 2:17 left to play to knot the score at 63-63.

Endicott restored its lead to two with 2:07 remaining on a pair of shots from the charity stripe by Jen McBrien. White went 4-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to seal the win for the Gulls.

Eastern Nazarene shot 42.9% from the field on the afternoon and 30.0% from beyond the arc. Endicott finished the game with a field-goal percentage of 35.8% and was limited to 1-for-8 shooting from downtown. The hosts converted 20-of-21 chances from the charity stripe in the contest.

For the second year in a row, the Lions head into the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament as the sixth-seeded team. Eastern Nazarene will hit the road for a quarterfinal matchup February 19 at third-seeded Salve Regina.