Lady Hawks Season Ends In NECC Semifinal

Nashua, N.H. - It was a long time coming, but the Daniel Webster College women's basketball team finally got its first postseason victory.

Joyce Chagan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) notched a team high 19 points including four three-pointers, while Vanessa Bosques (North Windham, Conn.) added 16 and nine rebounds guiding the fourth seeded Daniel Webster College women's basketball team past fifth seeded Becker College, 63-54 in the quarterfinals of the inaugural New England Collegiate Conference championship tournament Tuesday at Mario Vagge Gymnasium.

Daniel Webster (16-10), which was making just its third ever trip to the postseason and first since 1998, advances to the inaugural NECC final four which takes place this Friday and Saturday at top seed and host Mitchell College. The Eagles face the host Mariners in the first of two semifinals Friday night. The game tips off at 6:00 p.m.

The championship game is slated for Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Alycia Gervais (Windham, Conn.) added a double double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles. Nicole Conley (Hinesburg, Vt.) added a game high five steals and added four assists.

Senior Rachel Pinak (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) closed out her career for the Hawks (14-12) with a game high 23 points and added 10 rebounds. Senior Beth Pion (Enfield, Conn.) added 16 points and 10 boards.

The final score was remarkable in that the two teams struggled mightily throughout the first half, combining for just 16 field goals including a total of two over the first 6:36 of the opening frame. The score stood tied at 2-2 with 12:54 to go.

But both teams shook off early nerves and began to find rhythm over the next 12 minutes. A Pion trey tied things at 21 with 17 seconds to go in the frame but Gervais would pop home a loose rebound underneath as time expired and the Eagles led 23-21 at the break.

DWC would cobble together a 7-3 run over the opening two minutes for a six-point lead, but Becker would chip away and forge ahead on Courtney Fiske (Westfield, Mass.) trey for a 36-34 lead with 10:28 to go.

It would turn out to be Becker's last lead of the night as Bosques answered with a deep three and added a 20-foot jumper for a three point lead with 9:44 left.

Another three from Pion would later tie it at 41 with 8:49 remaining, but Bosques had another answer from outside 10 seconds later and Alyssa Regan (Salem, N.H.) added an nifty inside move for a five-point edge with 7:14 left.

After Shannon Tibbetts (Warren, Mass.) knocked down a three and Pinak buried two at the line, the Eagles held a 47-46 lead with 6:21 to go, but a huge Kacie Lang (Raymond, N.H.) three - her only bucket of the night - from deep in the left corner sparked a quick 8-2 run ending with a Brianna DeSeignora (Medfield, Mass.) jumper with 2:43 left.

Becker pulled with three (57-54) in the closing minute after Pion drew a foul and sank one, but Gervais followed with two at the line and Bosques would sink four more down the stretch to ice it.

Note: Beth Pion finished her career at Becker with 1625 carreer points. Beth is the all time leading scorer in Becker women's basketball.

-Daniel Webster Sports Information-