(Box Score)
KEENE, N.H. - The top-seeded Keene State College
women's basketball team had to work overtime to defeat rival and
sixth-seed Plymouth State University Sunday afternoon, 69-68, and
capture its first ECAC Division III New England Tournament
Championship.
Senior Kristin Degou (Newburyport, Mass.) was named the
tournament's most outstanding player after finishing with 14
points, 10 rebounds and six blocks. Keene State (20-9) posts
its third 20 win season in the past four years while Plymouth State
wraps up the season at 17-11.
The outcome spoiled an outstanding performance from PSU sophomore
Alicia Doucet (Manchester, N.H./Central), who
finished with a game-high 29 points, eight rebounds, three assists
and four blocked shots.
Despite unseasonably warm temperatures outside, the crowd of 656
fans were glued to the seats inside Spaulding Gym for the
back-and-fourth game that was reminiscent of past battles between
the two rivals.
The outcome wasn't decided until the closing seconds of the extra
period. Plymouth State took a three point lead (68-65) after
freshman Colleen O'Hara (Otego, N.Y.) hit a
three-pointer in front of the Panther's bench with 2:51 to go.
Sophomore guard Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) hit one of two
free throws to make it a two point game. KSC got the
ball back with just under a minute to play, and Laudano tied the
game with a jumper just to the right of the lane with 41 seconds to
go.
Degou was sent to the line with 11 seconds to play, and the senior
missed her first shot but swished her second attempt to give KSC
the 69-68 lead. The Panthers had a chance to tie or win the game in
the closing seconds, but the Owls were awarded the ball on the
possession arrow after senior Jen Cleaveland and Doucet battled for
the ball after a missed shot. Degou took the inbounds pass
from Sapp and threw the ball in the air as time expired.
The Panthers jumped out to an early 11-4 lead, but Keene State went
a on 19-4 run to go up 23-17 with 5:14 to play in the half.
Doucet was the story for PSU in the first half, scoring 19 of her
29 points; including a lay-up in the closing seconds to give
Plymouth a 29-24 lead at the break.
After the Panthers went up 42-34 early in the second half, KSC
answered with eight straight points to tie the game at 42-all with
8:35 to play. The two teams traded baskets the rest of the
way. Sophomore forward Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks,
Conn.), who finished with her second double-double (14 points and
13 rebounds) in as many days, hit a pair of free throws to put KSC
ahead 62-61 with a minute to play in regulation. With 23
seconds to go, Sapp added another free throw to make it 63-61.
Senior forward Laura Kent (Bellingham, Mass.) sent
the game into overtime when she hit a lay-up with three seconds in
regulation play. That set the stage for the wild overtime period.
PSU entered the game after upsetting third seed Endicott (70-59)
and second seed Regis (72-65). In addition to Doucet's 29
points, senior guard Katie Sunderland
(Londonderry, N.H.) added 11 points and nine rebounds for the
Panthers.
Two Plymouth players came up short in their bid to score 1,000
career points. Kent, who finished with 11 points and nine
rebounds, ends her career with 990 points. Junior forward
Amanda Kania (Manchester, N.H./West), who fouled
out late in regulation, had seven points and nine rebounds also
giving her 990 career points with one year to play.
Keene State was making its fifth appearance in the ECAC tournament
while Plymouth State has been to the tournament eight times,
winning back-to-back crowns in 2002 and 2003.
(Courtesy of Keene State Sports Information)
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