Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The top-seeded University of New England Nor'easters placed four of their five starters in double figures as they pulled away late for a 66-55 victory over the fourth-seeded Salve Regina University Seahawks in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference women's basketball semifinal-round game played Thursday evening at the Campus Center.

The Nor'easters (22-5) advance to host third-seeded Regis College, a 73-66 upset winner over No. 2 Endicott College. The championship game will tip-off at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Senior Katie Diggins (Merrimack, N.H.) led the way for the Nor'easters with 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds to record her third double-double. Sophomores Kelley Paradis (Newport, Maine) and Margo Russell (Madison, Maine) each scored 13 points and combined for 17 boards. Sophomore Kari Pelletier (South Paris, Maine) added 12 points, including a 7-for-7 effort at the free throw line.

For the Seahawks (16-10), junior Erin Phillips (Morristown, N.J.) led all scorers with 17 points, and in the process, became the ninth player in Salve Regina history to surpass the 1,000-point mark. Phillips reached the milestone after collecting a steal and driving the length of the floor to convert a layup with 10:15 remaining in the contest. She also added to her impressive stat line by finishing with nine caroms, six steals and two blocked shots.

Sophomore Lindsay Shorey (Ashland, Mass.) contributed 15 points, nine rebounds, four steals and four blocks for the Seahawks.

After a pull-up jumper in the paint by Shorey cut the Seahawk deficit to two (55-53) with 3:24 to play, the Nor'easters would limit the visitors to just two points the rest of the way.

Paradis gave the Nor'easters a four-point advantage with a post-up layup, then Pelletier knocked down a pair of free throws to make the score 59-53 with 2:15 left.

Phillips made the score 59-55 on a jump shot in the lane for what would prove to be the Seahawks' final points of the contest.

After both teams came up empty on their next possession, Diggins made the first of two free throw tries to give UNE a 60-55 lead with 1:18 remaining.

A layup and two foul shots by Russell combined with a pair of free throws by junior Carrie Bunnell (Barnet, Vt.) would help the Nor'easters distance themselves in the final minute.

In the first half, Salve Regina scored the first bucket of the contest before the hosts responded with a 17-4 run to open up an 11-point lead just 5:45 in. The Seahawks would get as close as four (25-21) later before the Nor'easters settled for a 31-24 halftime advantage.

For the game, UNE made just 33.3 percent (21-for-63) of their field goal attempts but took advantage of 20 offensive rebounds to muster 22 second-chance points. Overall, Big Blue hustled their way to a commanding 54-31 margin on the glass. The Nor'easters were also 21 of 26 (80.8 percent) at the line.

The victory was the third straight for UNE over Salve Regina after dropping six consecutive meetings between the two squads. The Nor'easters are headed to the conference final for the first time since 2001 when they captured three consecutive road contests to earn a trip to their only NCAA Division III Championship appearance.

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