Box Score KEENE, N.H. – Christan Wojtas scored a game-high 18 points to lead three players in double figures as the Keene State College Owls defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 63-46 in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Little East Conference Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Tuesday night at Spaulding Gymnasium.
With the win, Keene State advances to the semifinals of the LEC tournament for the first time since the 2012 season and improves its record to 17-9. Southern Maine concludes its season at 12-14.
Wojtas scored 12 of her 18 points in the first half as the Owls opened up a commanding 30-19 lead at the break. Kelsey Cognetta added 16 points and six assists, while Sarah Kober tossed in 12 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Southern Maine junior Ella Ramonas (Portland, Maine/Deering) led the Huskies with 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Junior Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) tossed in nine points and had six rebounds. Senior Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley) added eight points, four rebounds and two assists, while senior Stephanie Gallagher (York, Maine) and junior Gretchen Anderson (Kittery Point, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) each scored seven points.
Keene State came out ready to shoot in the first half, connecting on a red-hot 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field, including four three-pointers from Wojtas. Conversely, the Huskies, despite winning the turnover battle, shot just 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from the field.
Ahead by 11 at the half, the Owls offense continued to click in the opening four minutes of the second half as Wojtas drained back-to-back three-pointers as part a 9-3 run. Kober capped the run with a traditional three-point play on a layup and a free throw to give her team a commanding 39-22 lead with 16:00 remaining.
The Owls remained in front and held an 18-point, 50-22, advantage after a pair of Cognetta free throws with 9:41 to play before USM clawed its way back into the game. After Cognetta's free throws, Southern Maine rattled off nine unanswered points to bring its deficit to single digits at 50-41 with 4:36 to play. Ramonas scored six of her 11 points in the run.
With the Huskies surging, Keene State halted the USM momentum at the 4:10 mark when Kober again converted a traditional three-point play to return the Owls lead to double digits, 53-41 with 4:10 on the clock. After Kober's hoop and the harm, USM was unable to get closer than 12 points the rest of the way as the Owls closed out the game on the free throw line.
The game marks the final collegiate game for USM seniors Knight, Gallagher and Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine).
|
No. 23 Taylor Flood Sanford, Maine
|
|
Year
|
GP-GS
|
Min
|
FG-FGA
|
PCT.
|
3PT-3PTA
|
PCT.
|
FT-FTA
|
PCT.
|
PTS-PPG
|
Reb-RPG
|
A
|
ST
|
BK
|
|
2011-12
|
15-0
|
90
|
4-24
|
.167
|
1-7
|
.143
|
1-6
|
.167
|
10-0.7
|
22-1.5
|
3
|
6
|
0
|
|
2012-13
|
28-1
|
347
|
21-67
|
.313
|
0-8
|
.000
|
3-10
|
.300
|
45-1.6
|
46-1.6
|
22
|
30
|
1
|
|
2013-14
|
28-18
|
668
|
48-142
|
.338
|
13-42
|
.310
|
17-27
|
.630
|
126-4.5
|
103-3.7
|
38
|
36
|
2
|
|
2014-15
|
26-25
|
647
|
43-120
|
.358
|
2-20
|
.100
|
43-67
|
.672
|
131-5.0
|
81-3.1
|
50
|
38
|
3
|
|
Totals
|
97-44
|
1752
|
116-353
|
.329
|
16-77
|
.208
|
64-107
|
.598
|
312-3.2
|
252-2.6
|
113
|
110
|
6
|
Career Highs: 12 points vs. Keene State (12/13/14); 19 rebounds vs. Concordia-Chicago (12/29/13); 5 assists vs. twice, last vs. Keene State (12/13/14).
* 19 rebounds is tied for 11th in single-season records
|
No. 15 Stephanie Gallagher York, Maine
|
|
Year
|
GP-GS
|
Min
|
FG-FGA
|
PCT.
|
3PT-3PTA
|
PCT.
|
FT-FTA
|
PCT.
|
PTS-PPG
|
Reb-RPG
|
A
|
ST
|
BK
|
|
2011-12
|
26-0
|
227
|
27-75
|
.360
|
7-31
|
.226
|
7-11
|
.636
|
68-2.6
|
29-1.1
|
20
|
15
|
1
|
|
2012-13
|
29-0
|
224
|
18-52
|
.346
|
6-27
|
.222
|
9-10
|
.900
|
51-1.8
|
21-0.7
|
17
|
14
|
0
|
|
2013-14
|
28-0
|
481
|
35-96
|
.365
|
22-61
|
.361
|
14-20
|
.700
|
106-3.8
|
48-1.7
|
40
|
25
|
0
|
|
2014-15
|
26-26
|
914
|
70-176
|
.398
|
35-93
|
.376
|
39-57
|
.684
|
214-8.2
|
94-3.6
|
77
|
23
|
2
|
|
Totals
|
109-26
|
1846
|
150-399
|
.376
|
70-212
|
.330
|
69-98
|
.704
|
439-4.0
|
192-1.8
|
154
|
77
|
3
|
Career Highs: 17 points vs. Plymouth State (1/20/15); 9 rebounds vs. Plymouth State (2/10/15); 7 assists vs. UMass Dartmouth (2/8/14).
Honors, Awards & Notes
2013-2014 Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award
2013-2014 William B. Wise Scholar Athlete
2013 Melissa & Richard Costello Scholarship
2012-2013 William B. Wise Scholar Athlete
2011-2012 William B. Wise Scholar Athlete
|
No. 20 Rebecca Knight Alfred, Maine
|
|
Year
|
GP-GS
|
Min
|
FG-FGA
|
PCT.
|
3PT-3PTA
|
PCT.
|
FT-FTA
|
PCT.
|
PTS-PPG
|
Reb-RPG
|
A
|
ST
|
BK
|
|
2011-12 *
|
29-22
|
738
|
59-171
|
.345
|
0-4
|
0.000
|
23-35
|
.657
|
141-4.9
|
118-4.1
|
44
|
26
|
8
|
|
2012-13
|
29-28
|
811
|
136-245
|
.555
|
1-1
|
1.000
|
90-122
|
.738
|
363-12.5
|
235-8.1
|
48
|
40
|
14
|
|
2013-14
|
23-21
|
658
|
88-203
|
.433
|
0-2
|
0.000
|
52-63
|
.825
|
228-9.9
|
153-6.7
|
36
|
24
|
5
|
|
2014-15
|
23-23
|
757
|
85-231
|
.368
|
0-1
|
0.000
|
44-57
|
.772
|
214-9.3
|
148-6.4
|
59
|
20
|
5
|
|
Totals
|
104-94
|
2964
|
368-850
|
.432
|
1-8
|
0.125
|
209-277
|
.754
|
949-9.1
|
654-6.3
|
187
|
110
|
32
|
|
*PLAYED AT UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
|
Career Highs: 27 points vs. Salem State (12/4/12); 15 rebounds vs. Bates (11/26/13); 6 assists, twice, last vs. UMass Boston (1/29/15).
Honors, Awards & Notes
2013-2014 William B. Wise Scholar Athlete
2012-2013 All-Little East Conference
2012-2013 MWBCA All-State
Knight volunteers with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.
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