Dec. 30, 2010

Box Score | O'Neil: 'We struggled to execute'

Sophomore Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) and junior Sha'nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio) each registered double-doubles, but it was not enough as Caldwell College defeated UMass Lowell, 66-65, Thursday night in a non-conference women's basketball clash at the Costello Athletic Center.

With the loss, UMass Lowell slipped to 4-6 overall and resumes its Northeast-10 Conference schedule Sunday at home against Stonehill (2:00). Caldwell improved to 6-3 and visits Felician Thursday.

Freshman F Jeannette Anderson (Lynn, Mass.) led the Cougars with 16 points and eight rebounds while senior G Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmereport, England) also scored 16 points. Sophomore G Torey Jones (North Providence, R.I.) added 13 points and six rebounds while sophomore C Gillian Felix (Mahopac, N.Y.) chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.

Simmons led the River Hawks with 16 points and 11 rebounds (five offensive) as she shot 7 for 14. Bushner added 15 points, 12 rebounds (five offensive), three assists and three blocked shots.

Senior Krissy Little (Concord, N.H.) chipped in 11 points and four rebounds while shooting 5-10 from the floor. Sophomore C Briana Szidat (Pelham, N.H.) added eight points and eight rebounds and a career-high eight blocked shots, one shy of tying the school record of nine.

"We didn't execute. We didn't do a good job on the boards and we struggled taking care of the basketball," said UML Head Coach Kathy O'Neil. "It's hard to win games when you struggle in those three areas. I thought we struggled defensively at times. We've got to play defense consistently."

Caldwell amassed 22 offensive rebounds to UMass Lowell's 19 but made the most of their second chances, outscoring the River Hawks 13-7 on putbacks.

UMass Lowell trailed 62-56 with 6:19 left to play when Anderson converted a layup. The River Hawks, however, used a 7-2 spurt - a layup by Little, a trey by freshman G Nyachuol Biliew (Portland, Maine), a layup by Szidat and a jumper by Simmons - to take a 65-64 lead with 1:11 remaining.

Leedham's layup with 49 seconds left proved to be the game-winner, and, following a turnover, UMass Lowell was unable to foul.

In the first half, UMass Lowell had a 24-17 lead with 5:27 left, but Caldwell ended the half with a 19-5 run - led by six points from Anderson - to post a 36-29 lead at the break. Leedham then opened the second half with a trey to give the Cougars their largest lead of the game, 39-29, before the River Hawks battled back.