Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- First-year guard Kelley Paradis (Newport, Maine) led five players in double figures with a game-high 20 points as the University of New England advanced past Western New England College, 79-66, Tuesday evening in The Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinal action at the Campus Center.

The third-seeded Nor'easters (20-6) move on to face No. 2 Endicott College, a 57-47 winner over No. 7 Regis College.  Top-seeded Nichols College (an 81-49 winner over Curry College) and No. 5 Salve Regina University (68-56 victors over Colby-Sawyer College) will meet in the other semifinal match-up.

Trailing 24-23 with 5:08 left in the first half, UNE used a 10-0 run over a two-minute span to gain control of the contest for good.  Senior Sara Pelkey (Barre, Vt.) tallied five points during the stretch.

The Nor'easters led 37-31 at intermission despite shooting just 32.3 percent (10-for-31) from the floor.  The Golden Bears shot better from the field (43.5 percent) and were perfect from the charity stripe (9-for-9), but were hampered by 12 turnovers that translated into 14 UNE points.

UNE's cushion was in double digits nearly the entire second frame, reaching as many as 17 points twice.

Paradis, who scored 13 of her 20 in the first half, also picked up four steals.  After going 0-for-5 from the floor in the opening period, senior Alli Gamache (Dudley, Mass.) put up 17 points in the second.  Pelkey recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.  First-year Margo Russell (Madison, Maine) and sophomore Carrie Bunnell (Barnet, Vt.) scored 12 and 10, respectively.

Kailah Al-Darraji (Dover, N.H.) had a solid all-around game for WNEC (12-13), going for 14 points, seven assists, and five boards.  Taryn Belowsky (New Haven, Conn.) came off the bench to score 14 points, while Kelly McCormick (Manchester, Conn.) added 11.

Winners of 14 of its last 15 games, UNE's 20 wins is its most since the 1989-90 season.

The Nor'easters' semifinal-round game Thursday in Beverly, Mass. will tip-off at 7:00 p.m..  The Gulls won the only contest between the two teams during the regular season on Feb. 10, 85-65.