Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Sophomores Kelley Paradis (Newport, Maine) and Margo Russell (Madison, Maine) combined for 24 second-half points to lead the University of New England past Endicott College, 61-58, in a battle of The Commonwealth Coast Conference's top two women's basketball teams Tuesday evening at the Campus Center.

With their fourth win in-a-row, the Nor'easters (18-4) move to 9-1 in conference play and sit alone in first place with three games left on the schedule. It was just the second victory for UNE in the last 11 meetings with Endicott. The Gulls, who saw their seven-game win streak come to an end, now stand at 15-6 overall and 8-2 in league contests.

Paradis scored 13 after halftime to finish with a game-high 20 points. Russell ended with 18 points -- including going 14-for-17 from the charity stripe -- and seven rebounds. All 11 of her points in the final stanza came on free throws.

Senior center Ceciley Chisholm (Lexington, Mass.) went for 19 points and three steals to lead the Endicott. Junior Brittany Kelleher (Wakefield, Mass.) came off the bench to register a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards.

UNE led nearly start-to-finish, only falling behind for a total of 1:11 the entire match. Early on, the cushion peaked at nine three times during the middle portion of the first half, before a 12-2 run by the Gulls late gave the visitors a 25-24 advantage with 2:34 to go before intermission.

Five quick points from Paradis shifted the lead back the Nor'easters, who went into the break ahead, 29-26.

Endicott opened the second half with back-to-back buckets to gain the edge momentarily, only to see UNE reel off the next 10 points and grab a 39-30 lead with 15:26 remaining.

The Nor'easters still led 45-38 with 11:22 to play, when four points apiece from Chisholm and first-year Jen McBrien (Medfield, Mass.) as part of an 8-0 spurt put the Gulls on top by one (46-45) with eight minutes on the clock.

Paradis once again stopped the momentum swing with her third trey of the game, and UNE would not trail again.

Both teams return to action Saturday. The Nor'easters host Colby-Sawyer College at 1 p.m., while Endicott is set to entertain Salve Regina University.