Box Score

NEW LONDON, N.H. -- First-year Kari Pelletier (South Paris, Maine) converted a free throw attempt with 1.9 seconds left in regulation to give the University of New England a thrilling 72-71 win over Colby-Sawyer College in The Commonwealth Coast Conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Hogan Sports Center.

With the victory, the Nor'easters (17-6, 10-1 TCCC) clinch a first-round home playoff game in the upcoming TCCC Tournament. 

Pelletier's game-winning free throw came after the Nor'easters had squandered a 14-point second-half lead, only to recover from a five-point deficit with 2:31 remaining.  After a jumper by senior Alli Gamache (Dudley, Mass.) provided UNE a 71-70 lead with 21 seconds left, Colby-Sawyer senior Terri Duffy (Marshfield, Mass.) made 1 of 2 free throws to tie the game at 71-all with 10 seconds remaining, setting up Pelletier's game-winning free throw. 

After the two teams played to a 38-all tie in the first half, the Nor'easters utilized a 20-6 run to take command at 58-44 with 12:19 on the clock.  The trio of Carrie Bunnell (Barnet, Vt.), Margo Russell (Madison, Maine), and Kelley Paradis (Newport, Maine) combined to score 19 of UNE's 20 points during the spurt.

The hosts would not go down easily, exploding for 12 unanswered points to pull within two (58-56).

The Nor'easters failed to give up the lead, however, until the Chargers went on an 8-0 run over a three-minute stretch to take a 69-65 advantage at the 3:54 mark.

Bunnell scored a game-high 19 points to pace the Nor'easters.  Russell posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Pelletier finished with 12 points and Paradis 10.

UNE made 21 of 27 (77.8 percent) free throw attempts and yielded just 11 turnovers.  Conversely, Colby-Sawyer was just 7 of 12 (58.3 percent) from the charity stripe and turned the ball over 20 times.

Duffy and senior guard Ellen Naughton (Danvers, Mass.) each scored 13 points for the Chargers.  Duffy snared a game-high 12 rebounds and Naughton had five assists.  Senior Emma Pasquale (Eliot, Maine) contributed eight points and 11 boards.

The Nor'easters return to action Wednesday evening when they head to Wenham, Mass. for a 6:00 p.m. conference game at Gordon College.

Colby-Sawyer (14-8, 8-3 TCCC) hosts Wentworth Institute of Technology that same evening at 5:30 p.m.