Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Junior Christan Wojtas (Amherst, N.H./Soughegan) and freshmen Stephanie D'Annolfo (Tyngsborough, Mass.) and Amanda Petrow (Metheun, Mass.) each scored 13 points to lead the Keene State College Owls to a 68-64 overtime win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Hill Gymnasium.
The loss is the second straight for the Huskies who fall to 2-2 on the season and begin their Little East Conference season at 0-1. The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the Owls who are now 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the Little East.
Wjotas was 5-for-11 from the field, knocking down three three-pointers. D'Annolfo matched Wojtas from the field adding six rebounds and six assists. Petrow chipped in her 13 points on a 5-for-9 performance off of the bench, adding five rebounds.
Senior Mariah Callender (Portland, Maine) led four Huskies in double figures with 14 points. Senior Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) added 12 points and seven assists. Junior forward Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine) and sophomore forward Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) each scored 10 points.
Keene State led 38-25 at the half as the Owls shot a solid 45.5 percent (15-for-33) from the field, led by D'Annolfo's eight points and four assists. Keene State started the game out hot, scoring the first nine points of the game. Conversely, the Huskies were ice cold from the field connecting on just nine of 31 field goals for a 29.0 shooting percentage.
The second half started out the same for both teams and Keene led by 19, 49-29, with 13:11 remaining in regulation after a layup from D'Annolfo. Holding its largest lead of the game, KSC seemed to be in cruise control before the Huskies forced the overtime action outscoring the Owls 29-9 the rest of the way.
After a run of 15-6 favor of the Huskies, USM trailed 54-44 following a short jumper from Knight on a feed from McNamara. A jumper from Petrow gave KSC a 12-point lead, but Callendar scored 12 of the Huskies' next 14 points as part of a 14-12 run to tie the game up 58.
In overtime, D'Annolfo scored the first basket of the period to give Keene a 60-58. Keene would hold the lead for the period. The Huskies' trailed by two, 66-64, after a layup from Knight with seconds on the clock, but sophomore Kelsey Cognetta (Stamford, Conn.) sank two free throws to put the game out of reach for the 68-64 final.
Southern Maine hosts Bates College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). Keene State travels to Trinity (Conn.) next Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).
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