Women’s Basketball Surges Past Gordon on Senior Day, 88-65

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team collected an 88-65 victory over Gordon Saturday afternoon at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

The Lions improve to 11-12 on the year and 5-11 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the win. The Fighting Scots fall to 8-15 overall and 6-10 in league play.

Prior to the start of the game, the Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball program honored seniors Jacquelin Arretche (Los Banos, Calif.), Michelle Detwiler (Elkhart, Ind.), Shelby Holmes (Seeley Lake, Mont.), and Kayla Torio (Manteca, Calif.) who were playing their final games at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

Holmes notched a double-double as she poured in a career-best 23 points and hauled in 12 rebounds. Torio finished with 22 points, nine boards, and four assists. Stella Dulay (Santa Marita, Calif.) and Seniesha Sekaquaptewa (Scottsdale, Ariz.) both netted 18 points on the day. Detwiler grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and added four points.

The home team manufactured a 9-0 run to open the game and widened the gap to double-digits with 3:17 left to play as Torio completed a three-point play at the free throw line, 12-2.

The visitors battled back to cut the deficit to 16-12 late in the first quarter before Sekaquaptewa drove to the basket for a layup just before the horn as Eastern Nazarene held a 18-12 lead after one period of action.

The Lions reclaimed a double-figure advantage with 6:53 remaining in the second on a layup by Torio, 28-18.

Eastern Nazarene extended the margin to 20 points with 1:52 on the clock as Dulay splashed a trey, 45-25.

The hosts carried a 48-29 lead into the halftime intermission.

The Lions shot 53.1% from the floor and 50% from behind the arc in the first two quarters. Gordon sported a field-goal percentage of 32.5% at the break while being limited to just 3-of-16 from three-point range.

Eastern Nazarene pushed its advantage to 27 with 5:20 left to play in the third on a mid-range jumper by Holmes, 63-36.

The Fighting Scots strung together an 8-0 run to close out the third quarter, capped by a running-three at the buzzer by Meghan Foley to trim the gap to 68-53 heading into the fourth frame.

Gordon pulled to within 10 with 9:03 remaining in regulation, 68-58, on a basket in the paint by Foley.

The Lions responded with three-pointers by Torio and Dulay to push their lead to 18 with 4:48 to go, 80-62.

The home side outscored the guests 8-3 down the stretch to secure the crucial conference win.

Eastern Nazarene finished with a field-goal percentage of 48.4% to go with 16-for-31 shooting from downtown. Gordon shot 34.7% from the floor and 26.9% from beyond the arc on the day.

Up next, the Lions hit the road for a conference clash at Nichols February 13.