The Keene State College women’s basketball team used a balanced offensive attack to come away with a victory to open up Little East Conference play this past Saturday, December 5.
The Owls had four players in double figures in their 86-71 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at the Spaulding Gymnasium. Senior guard Kelsey Cognetta and sophomore guard Sandi Purcell each scored 23 points. Purcell, over the team’s last three games, has scored over 20 points twice. “It’s good to have finally found my shot and be there for my team,” Purcell said.
The two other Keene State players in double figures were junior forward Amanda Petrow and junior forward Stephanie D’Annolfo. Petrow finished with 12 points and ten rebounds to record a double-double. D’Annolfo contributed all over the court with 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Purcell said the balanced scoring makes the team harder to stop. “They [the opponents] are not going to know who to guard,” Purcell said.
Owls Head Coach Keith Boucher said his team is more concerned about being successful rather than their personal numbers. “I think we realized that everyone wants the same thing. It’s not about who gets the points, we spread it out pretty well,” Boucher said.
In the first quarter, the Owls were able to set the tone by jumping out to a 16-7 lead. Keene State had a 23-20 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter. By halftime, the Owls had a 47-39 lead. In the second half, the Owls were able to pull away, especially in the fourth quarter. KSC had their largest lead of the game in the fourth quarter, up 18 points.
Petrow and junior Sarah Kober both got into foul trouble and Boucher turned to first-year player Josie Amerson. In five minutes of play, Amerson had three points as a result of a three-point play and grabbed three rebounds.
Boucher said, “I saw a freshman that wasn’t afraid of the fight. She came in and I can’t emphasize enough the valuable minutes she gave us.”
Junior forward for UMass Dartmouth Megan Ronaghan, who finished with 24 points on the afternoon, led the Corsairs in scoring.
With the victory, KSC improves to 7-0 on the season and 1-0 in LEC play. The Corsairs fell to 7-1 overall and 1-1 in the LEC. The Owls will be back in action on Saturday, December 13, at 1 p.m. on the road at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Brian can be contacted at bclemmenson@kscequinox.com
