WPI 64, Colby-Sawyer 44
Box
Score
Worcester, MA --- Elle Fontaine
(Franklin, MA) dropped in a game-high 18 points and pulled down
eight rebounds, while Serena Dubois (Bangor, ME)
drained 13 of her 16 points in the first half, leading host
second-seeded WPI to a 64-44 triumph over seventh-seeded
Colby-Sawyer in an ECAC New England Championship women's basketball
first round game Wednesday evening at Harrington Auditorium.
With the victory, WPI improves to 22-6, one shy of the school's
single-season record for wins. The Engineers will host
sixth-seeded Emerson in semifinal action on Saturday. Game
time is tentatively scheduled for 2pm. The Lions upset
third-seeded Endicott 76-66 on the road in Beverly, MA.
Colby-Sawyer ends its season with a 16-10 mark.
The Engineers came out of the locker room shooting the ball well
as they jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. Colby-Sawyer responded by
scoring seven of the game's next 12 points, but five straight
points from Dubois gave WPI a double digit lead at 20-9 with 10:23
to go in the half. The teams traded baskets for the rest of the
frame, until a jumper by Melissa Kuhn (Stoughton,
MA) with 2:16 to go gave the Crimson and Gray a 31-17 lead heading
into intermission, its largest of the half. WPI established their
lead due in large part to their perimeter defense, as they held the
Chargers to 0-for-10 from three-point land in the half.
WPI kept the pressure on in the second half, as they would never
trail in the game. A layup by Colby-Sawyer senior Emma
Pasquale (Eliot, ME) with 15:37 to play brought the
seventh-seeded Chargers back to within nine at 36-27, but they
would get no closer. The basket by Pasquale gave her 1,000 points
for her career. The Engineers got three straight baskets including
a pair of 3-pointers by Fontaine and a jumper from
Caitlin Macko (Cromwell, CT) to push the WPI lead
back to double digits where it would remain for the rest of the
game. Macko netted a season-high 15 points in the contest to go
along with her three assists.
Dubois added seven rebounds and senior point guard
Natasha Deschene (Presque Isle, ME) dished out a
game-high seven assists for the Engineers who have won four
straight ECAC games, including the 2007 championship. Kuhn added
eight points for WPI, while Charlotte McDonnell
(Swansea, MA) grabbed eight rebounds for the victors.
Pasquale notched a double-double for Colby-Sawyer with 16 points
and 11 rebounds. She ends her standout career with 1,005
points, 10th all-time in program history. Terri
Duffy (Marshfield, MA) contributed nine points and four
rebounds, while Kayt Racz (Worthington, MA) added
seven points for the Chargers.
Story written by Ray Cotrufo '98 - WPI Athletics
Department
