KEENE, N.H.   – Senior Stephanie D'Annolfo (Tyngsborough, Mass.) recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both game-high totals, to lead the second-seeded Keene State College Owls over the seventh-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies 71-46 in a Little East Conference quarterfinal game Tuesday night at Spaulding Gymnasium.

            With the win, Keene State advances to the 2017 Little East Conference tournament semifinals and improves to 19-7 overall. Southern Maine concludes its 2016-2017 season with a 5-21 record. 

            D'Annolfo was 8-for-11 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line to lead three Owls in double-figures.  Senior Amanda Petrow (Methuen, Mass.) tossed in 12 points on a perfect 6-for-6 mark from the floor, while junior Lydia Vital (Cambridge, Mass./Worcester Academy) added 10 points. 

            Junior Miranda Nicely (Farmington, Maine/Mt. Blue) led USM with 10 points and five rebounds.  Freshman Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) added eight points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal. Freshman Katie Howe (New Boston, N.H./Goffstown) and junior Kayla Stacy (Auburn, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) each scored six points. 

            USM started out strong and led the Owls 12-7 after one of two free throws from freshman Chantel Eells (Turner, Maine/Leavitt) with 4:15 to play in the first.  KSC responded to the deficit, however, and scored the final 13 points of the quarter to take a 20-12 lead into the second frame. Freshman Rachel Bonnanzio (Middlebury, Conn./Pomperaug) scored five of KSC's points in the run, while junior Sandi Purcell (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) added four. 

            KSC started the second on a 7-0 run to lead 27-12 with 7:37 to play until halftime, before USM's Howe came off the bench to drain back-to-back threes to pull USM to within 31-20 with 5:27 to play.  KSC closed the half on a 5-2 run to take a 36-22 lead at the break.

            KSC continued to grow its lead in the third and led by 20, 48-28, with 3:50 play in the quarter after a layup from Petrow, before USM pulled itself to within three possessions on a 10-2 run.  Junior Emily Nicholson (Quispamsis, New Brunswick) hit a driving layup to start the run, followed by a three from freshman Hannah Clement (Orono, Maine), a baseline jumper from Luckhardt and a three-ball from sophomore Alexa Srolovitz (Montreal, Quebec/New Hampton School).  In the fourth, KSC responded to the Huskies' push with a 9-3 run in the first four minutes to lead 59-41 on a three from Vital with 5:58 showing on the clock.  Nicholson hit for another short jumper to make it 59-43 with 4:56 to play, but the Owls rattled off the next 12 points to seal the win en route to the 71-46 final.

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