Jan. 25, 2011

Box Score

Senior F Brittany Huggins compiled 26 points as Pace University defeated UMass Lowell, 75-53, Tuesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball clash at the Goldstein Fitness Center.

 

The loss was the fourth straight for the River Hawks, who slipped to 6-12 overall and 5-9 in the NE-10 entering Saturday’s home game against Southern Connecticut (2:00). Pace improved to 16-4 overall and 10-4 in the Conference.

Junior F Sha’Nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio) led UMass Lowell with 17 points and six rebounds while converting 7 of 9 field goal attempts and all three free throws. She drew her fifth foul with 1:29 left to play.

Huggins converted 10 of 15 field goals and 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point range. Sophomore F Brittany Shields added 12 points and five rebounds.

Pace raced to a 20-point lead late in the first half behind .545 field goal shooting (18-33), including six 3-point field goals while UMass Lowell shot a respectable .476 (10-21), though with eight fewer field goals.

Pace committed only six turnovers opposed to 19 by UMass Lowell and posted a 28-11 advantage on points off turnovers. The Setters also enjoyed advantages in the paint (20-8), on second chances (14-6) and off the bench (23-13).

Leading 14-13 with 11:04 left in the first half, Pace embarked on a 24-5 tear to post a 38-18 lead with 4:16 left to play. Huggins led the run with 11 points while senior G Lisa Welsome and freshman F Victoria Jones each chipped in five points.

UMass Lowell regrouped and used a 10-2 run – led by three points apiece from senior Krissy Little (Concord, N.H.) and sophomore F Sarah Bennett (Newark, Ohio) – to cut the deficit to 40-28 with 1:07 left in the half.

Pace led at the break, 44-30, and opened the second half with a 19-7 spurt to post a 63-37 cushion with 9:11 left to play. Huggins was the catalyst with 11 points in the run.