Women’s Basketball Tops New England College, Advances to NECC Championship Game

QUINCY, Mass.- The No. 2 seed Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team notched an 87-78 victory over third-seeded New England College Thursday evening at the Lahue Athletic Center in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament semifinals. The Lions advance to the NECC championship game for the second time in program history and will face top-seeded Mitchell February 25.

THE BASICS:
Score: Eastern Nazarene 87, New England College 78
Records: Lions (11-14) | Pilgrims (10-13)

                                   
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Eastern Nazarene captured a double-digit lead with 5:11 remaining in the first period as Ashley Quigley (Fields Landing, Calif.) converted a free throw to complete a three-point play, 18-8.
• The home side sported a 22-11 advantage through 10 minutes of action.
• The Lions widened the gap to 17 points on a bucket by Michala O'Donoghue (San Bruno, Calif.) with 8:25 left to play in the second quarter, 30-13.
• New England College cut the deficit to 40-32 with 1:52 to go in the second as Sierra Gamble knocked down a baseline jumper.
• Eastern Nazarene owned a 44-38 lead at the halftime break.
• The Pilgrims opened the third frame with a 10-2 run to seize a 48-46 edge with 8:28 on the clock.
• The hosts answered with a trey by Alondra Jimenez (Santa Barbara, Calif.) followed by a pair of free throws by Anaira Ayala (Guaynabo, P.R.) to claim a 51-48 lead with 7:44 to go in the third period.
• Eastern Nazarene stretched the margin to 66-58 on a three-point play by Amanda Brooks (St. Louis, Mo.) late in the third quarter.
• Repetitive of the first two quarters, the Lions chalked up 22 points in the third frame to carry a 66-58 advantage into the fourth.
• Eastern Nazarene regained a double-digit lead, 82-72, late in the final period as Te'yalla Simpson (Fairfield, Texas) drained a free throw with 51 seconds left to play in regulation.
• The home team scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and converted 8-of-12 from the charity stripe in the final 1:19 to secure the semifinal victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Alondra Jimenez (Santa Barbara, Calif.) poured in 21 points and dished out nine assists.
• Ashley Quigley (Fields Landing, Calif.) netted 21 points and grabbed six boards while finishing 11-for-11 from the charity stripe.
• Te'yalla Simpson (Fairfield, Texas) posted 16 points and collected a team-high nine rebounds off the bench.
• Delaney Walker (Nampa, Idaho) tallied eight points and three steals while Anaira Ayala (Guaynabo, P.R.) added seven points.
• Eastern Nazarene finished with a field-goal percentage of 46.8% while connecting on 4-for-16 from three-point range. The Lions also sank a season-high 25 free throws on 32 trips to the line in the contest.
• New England College shot 46.6% from the floor while being limited to 3-for-20 from beyond the arc.
• Kathleen Rodriguez paced the Pilgrims with a double-double on the night, scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Ericka Pratt also registered a double-double for the visitors, recording 19 points and gathering 11 boards.
   

NECC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
With Thursday's win, second-seeded Eastern Nazarene advanced the New England Collegiate Conference championship for the second time in the last four years. The Lions will meet top-seeded Mitchell in the NECC Tournament finals February 25. Tip-off is set for 1:00 pm in New London, Conn.