Feb. 27, 2011

Box Score

Junior G Caitlin Quinn scored a team-high 15 points – including nine in a key second half run – to lead No. 7 Saint Michael’s College over No. 10 UMass Lowell, 74-59, Sunday afternoon in the Northeast-10 Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament first round at the Ross Sports Center.

With the loss, UMass Lowell completes the 2010-11 season with a 9-18 record (8-14 in the NE-10). Saint Michael’s, winning its sixth straight game, improved to 16-10 overall and visits No. 2 Franklin Pierce Tuesday night (7:00) in the quarterfinal.

Sophomore G Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) led UMass Lowell with 15 points and four rebounds, shooting 6 for 11 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line, despite playing only 24 minutes due to foul trouble.

Junior F Sha’Nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio) added 13 points and eight rebounds while sophomore F Sarah Bennett (Newark, Ohio) chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.

Senior F Logan Pintka scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds for Saint Michael’s while junior G Coreen Hennessy chipped in 11 points, hitting all six of her free throw attempts.

“I thought (Saint Michael’s) went to the free throw line too many times, and that’s why the first half ended the way it did," said UML Head Coach Kathy O'Neil. "I thought we fouled instead of letting our help, help.”

Where the River Hawks dominated the paint (32-14) and the offensive glass (16-5 on second chance points), Saint Michael’s reciprocated by outscoring UMass Lowell 24-6 from the 3-point stripe and 30-11 from the free throw line.

Turnovers were also a problem, as the River Hawks committed 23 opposed to 16 by Saint Michael’s. “We didn’t take care of the basketball in either half,” said O’Neil.

UMass Lowell trailed at the half, 33-31, but opened the second half with an 8-2 spurt behind six points from Simmons, to take a 39-35 lead with 16:16 remaining.

Saint Michael’s, however, countered with a 13-3 run – led by a layup and 3-pointer by Hennessy and a conventional 3-point play by senior G Marilyn Ferreira – to take a 48-42 lead with 11:01 remaining.

Following a jumper by Bushner, Simmons went to the bench with her fourth foul and the Purple Knights reeled off a 16-4 run to post a 64-48 lead with 5:25 to play. Quinn capped the run with three straight treys.

UMass Lowell cut the deficit to 69-59 on a layup by Calver with 40 seconds left, but could get no closer.

The first half was a near-even game of runs as the River Hawks raced out to a 14-8 lead – sophomore Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) had four points – before the Purple Knights found their touch and went on a 15-2 run to post a 23-16 cushion with 5:16 left to play.

The River Hawks were dealt a blow with 7:44 left in the half when Simmons was whistled for her third foul and sat out the rest of the half.

Despite her absence, however, UMass Lowell answered with a 14-2 tear of its own, led by seven points from Bushner, to post a 30-25 lead with 1:33 left to play. But it was the Purple Knights with the last laugh, outscoring UMass Lowell, 8-1 the rest of the half for a 33-31 lead.

“I think we were sharing the basketball,” O’Neil said. “Sha’Nay dominated in that stretch with a few assists, some rebounds and some good offensive plays.”

UMass Lowell shot 12 for 29 from the field (.414) in the first half opposed to Saint Michael’s 7 for 22 (.318), but the Purple Knights converted 17 of 21 free throw attempts while the River Hawks shot 5-6.

UMass Lowell graduates one senior (guard Krissy Little) as four of five starters and 13 veterans return.

“With 12 freshmen and sophomores I think we improved tremendously as the year went along,” O’Neil noted. “I think we matured and improved defensively. We have some things in the offseason to work on, as all teams do. I think all of our bigs (post players) are going to be better next year.”