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BIDDEFORD, Maine – With just over a second remaining and the score tied, Grace Boucher's perfectly-placed lob found the hands of Faye Veilleux, who hit a fadeaway jumper as the buzzer sounded to lift the University of New England women's basketball team over Colby, 58-56, in Tuesday night's instant classic on Coach Beaudry's Court.
 
Colby (2-3), who trailed by as many as nine in the third quarter, took a 56-53 lead with under a minute remaining in the fourth thanks to leading scorer Kate Olenik's 3-pointer. Sydney Jenisch had the answer on the other end with a triple of her own, drawing UNE (3-3) even at 56-56. The Nor'easter defense came up with a stop on the other end, setting the stage for Veilleux's heroics.
   
Veilleux led the Nor'easters with 23 points, sinking 3-of-5 from downtown. The rest of the Nor'easters' scoring was balanced with Jenisch, Boucher and Maddy Werner each coming close to double figures. Olenik netted a game-high 24 points for Colby, and Amelia Hanscom recorded an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double.
 
The Mules turned in a strong start, leading by as many as seven late in the first quarter. UNE, however, would embark on a 17-1 run that bridged the end of the first and the beginning of the second, turning Colby's 12-7 lead into a 24-13 Nor'easter advantage. That margin represented the largest lead for either side during Tuesday's thriller. A 3-pointer from Lydia Mordarski helped the Mules turn the tide and later climb within as little as two, and eventually trail by four (31-27) at halftime.
 
The Nor'easters threatened to again open up a double-digit lead on multiple occasions in the third quarter, but Colby consistently came up with answers to salvage a third-quarter stalemate and trail 47-43 entering the fourth. Werner's layup in the opening minutes of the final frame handed UNE a 51-45 lead, and after a four-minute scoring drought, the Mules were within three (51-48) with Ana Von Rumohr's triple. Olenik followed suit on Colby's next possession, tying the game, and would later give her team a 53-51 edge with her bucket at the 2:12 mark.
 
Veilleux knocked down a jumper with two minutes remaining to level the score at 53-53, and after Olenik knocked down a clutch 3-pointer for Colby, it was the final-minute heroics of Jenisch and Veilleux that sealed UNE's victory.
 
The Nor'easters are back in action Sunday, Dec. 1, hosting another NESCAC opponent, Bates, at 1 p.m.