January 5, 2009
Eagles Hold Off Late Pilgrim Charge, 69-66

Nashua – Sophomore Joyce Chagan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) notched a team high 17 points adding seven rebounds and five assists, while Alycia Gervais (Windham, Conn.) added 13 points, seven boards and three steals as the Daniel Webster College women’s basketball team held off visiting intrastate rival New England College, 69-66 Monday night.

Vanessa Bosques (North Windham, Conn.) and Kacie Lang (Raymond, N.H.) added eight points each as the Eagles (5-3) rebounded from an early nine-point deficit, built a 16-point lead in the second half, and survived a late Pilgrim charge to win their second straight.

Ashley Hutton (Lebanon, N.H.) led the Pilgrims (5-5) with a game high 19 points including 5 three pointers, while Katie Plankey (Columbia, Conn.) notched 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Kendall Wolfson (Lyndeborough, N.H.) hit for 14 points and nine boards. Tiffany Boilard (Raymond, N.H.) added seven points.

NEC held the Eagles to just two points in the opening 7:52 of the first half, and built a nine-point lead (13-4) before the Eagles stormed back with a quick 8-0 run keyed by three Gervais jumpers for a one-point game.

A Chagan layup later tied things up at 23 with 3:45 to go sparking an 11-4 run over the final three minutes to give the Eagles a 34-27 lead at the break.

The Eagles came out firing in the opening minutes of the second half, taking advantage of cold Pilgrim shooting and three quick turnovers. Leading 42-34, the Eagles went on a 9-0 tear backed by two jumpers from Chagan and a 10-foot jumper from Kirsten Murphy (Woodstock, Vt.) for a 51-34 lead with 13:27 left.

But NEC slowly whittled the lead down to nine (67-58) on a LaShawnda Wilson (Burlington, Vt.) layup and Boilard followed with a three for a six-point game with 3:29 left.

After Lang followed with a layup for the Eagles, Boilard knocked down a jumper with 2:13 left, Wilson sank a free throw and Plankey buried a layup with 56 seconds left for a three-point game.

NEC had one last possession in the closing seconds but the Eagle defense shut down the perimeter and the Pilgrims couldn’t get off a clean three-point try.

Daniel Webster returns to action Thursday, renewing their annual intra-city rivalry at Rivier College at 7:00 p.m.