Statistics
WENHAM, Mass. – The University of New England got to the free throw line early and often on Tuesday evening to pull out its fifth straight Conference of New England victory, 60-45, over Gordon College inside the Bennett Center.
UNE (11-9, 9-2), having scored more than half of its points from the charity stripe, went 31-for-40 at the line, racking up its most attempts in a single game since the 2018-19 season (30-for-40 against Salve Regina, Jan. 8, 2019). No one attempted more than six free throws, but five different UNE players reached that cutoff in Tuesday evening's balanced effort.
Maddy Werner was the only one of the five who was perfect (6-for-6) on the night.
The Nor'easters' abundance of opportunities at the line helped compensate for a cold night from beyond the arc, with UNE having knocked down just one of its 16 3-point attempts. Gordon (4-16, 2-9) struggled as well, going 2-for-16. Both sides faired similarly from the floor – UNE was 14-for-56 and Gordon was 16-for-62. The Fighting Scots attempted 15 free throws (11-for-15).
Sydney Jenisch was the only UNE player in double figures, finishing with a game-high 15 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
Hannah Blanchard led both sides with a career-best 12 rebounds, helping the Nor'easters claim a 53-41 edge on the glass. Leah McGarvey led Gordon with 14 points, while Sophie Peters grabbed 10 boards.
Gordon emerged from a tightly-contested first half with a 26-25 edge and upped its lead to 34-29 midway through the third quarter before succumbing to a 14-2 UNE run that gave the Nor'easters a 43-36 early fourth-quarter advantage. That grew to double digits by the 2-minute mark and the visitors led by as many as 17 during the final minute.
The Nor'easters were 11-for-12 at the free throw line during the fourth quarter, where they outscored the Scots 21-9. UNE attempted double-digit free throws in three quarters, with the third being the outlier.
UNE has won seven straight over Gordon and improved its all-time series record against the Scots to 35-1.
The Nor'easters ride their five-game win streak into another road test, visiting Hartford on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m.
