Box Score
Post-Game Interview

WENHAM, Mass. -- Junior forward Kelly Coleman dropped in 21 of her career-best 32 points in the 2nd half to lead the University of New England back from a four-point halftime deficit to a 64-51 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball triumph over Gordon College on Wednesday night (Jan. 15) at the Bennett Center.

The Nor'easters have won 32 straight regular-season games against league opponents, and now stand at 12-1 (7-0 CCC) on the year. UNE has taken the last 13 meetings against the Fighting Scots (5-9, 1-6 CCC); a streak that started back in the 2005-06 season.

Big Blue trailed by as many as seven during the opening period, and faced the wrong side of a 27-23 margin at intermission, but rallied in the final frame largely behind the efforts of Coleman. She went 9-of-15 from the field in the closing half to eclipse her previous personal high (established twice in the last two weeks) by seven points. Coleman added 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, as well as four steals.

Sophomore reserve Alanna Vose also reached double figures for UNE with 10 points.

After 23 percent shooting before the break, Big Blue connected at a 47 percent rate from the floor down the stretch. The Nor'easters struggled to find the range (2 of 19) from long distance throughout the contest, but had a 14-point advantage over their foes at the charity stripe.

Skylar Bareford made four of Gordon's nine three-pointers to finish with a team-high 14 points. Brooke Kratche and Mariel Barner chipped in with 10 apiece; Kratche also corralled eight boards. Fredi Nielson pulled down a match-best 11 rebounds off the bench.

UNE scored the game's initial six points, but relinquished the advantage at 12-11 just past the midway mark of the 1st half.

Bareford knocked down a triple to push the Gordon margin to seven (25-18) with just over one minute left in the stanza, but Coleman answered right back with a layup and chance at three-point play. Though the free throw didn't fall, Coleman managed to gather the miss, and moments later canned a trey of her own to further slice into the Fighting Scots' advantage.

Second half action went back-and-forth to where things were all tied up at 38-38 with 12:27 on the clock. But it was all UNE for the next eight minutes, minus a three-pointer from Barner, as the Nor'easters took full control with a 19-3 run. Coleman had nine during the span.

Big Blue heads to Rhode Island on Saturday (1 p.m.) for a date with one of the teams currently sharing second place (6-1) in the CCC standings, Roger Williams University.


Click HERE to watch the post-game interview with Kelly Coleman