Box Score KEENE, N.H. – Junior Stephanie D'Annolfo (Tyngsborough, Mass.) scored 14 points to lead three players in double figures as the Keene State College Owls held off the University of Southern Maine Huskies 60-53 in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gym.
With the win, Keene State improves to 18-3 overall and 7-3 in the Little East Conference. Southern Maine is 12-9 overall and 6-4 in the LEC. The Owls and the Huskies have split the season series at 1-1.
Trailing the Owls 37-22 at the half, Southern Maine outscored the Owls 12-3 in the third quarter to pull itself back into the game. Huskies' senior Ella Ramonas (Portland, Maine/Deering) scored seven of her game-high 18 points in the quarter. The Huskies scored the first eight points of the quarter unanswered to trail 37-30 with 2:31 to play in the frame. D'Annolfo halted the USM run with a layup, and sophomore Sandi Purcell (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) made the front end of a pair of free throws to make it 40-30 in favor of the Owls with 1:19 to play. However, USM connected for the final four points of the quarter as sophomore Kristie McNall (Wakefield, Mass.) and Ramonas each hit jumpers in the final two USM possessions to make it 40-34 heading to the fourth.
USM continued its run in the fourth as sophomore Kayla Stacy (Auburn, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) canned a three to make it a one-possession, 40-37, KSC lead with 8:39 to play, but the Owls answered back with back-to-back scores to extend its lead to 44-37. The Owls made it a nine point, 48-39, lead on a layup from senior Ryanne Williams (Norwell, Mass.) with 5:18 remaining in the game before scoring halted for both teams for the next two and a half minutes.
USM freshman Alexa Srolovitz (Montreal, Quebec/New Hampton) ended the drought for both sides with a three with 2:48 on the clock as the Huskies' trailed 48-42. USM stayed within two possessions of the Owls and trailed by six, 56-50, with 29 seconds to play on another three from Srolovitz, but was unable to get any closer as KSC closed the game out on the free throw line.
Ramonas finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, adding three steals and two assists. Senior Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Srolovitz added eight points, four rebounds and two steals.
D'Annolfo was 5-for-8 from the field for her team-high 14, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double. Williams had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Purcell tallied 10 points.
Southern Maine hosts UMass Boston on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) in a Little East Conference game. It will be part of USM Athletics' Town of Gorham Night and will feature a halftime scrimmage by the Gorham Recreation Department's third and fourth grade girls' teams. Keene State travels to Eastern Connecticut on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.).
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