Box Score
WENHAM, Mass. – The Endicott Gulls used two long scoring runs in the second half to claim a 58-42 win over the Fighting Scots at the Bennett Center. Gordon struggled to fight through the Endicott defense over the final 18 minutes of play after tying the game early in the second half and fell to the Gulls in the Commonwealth Coast Conference opener.
Gordon's Brooke Kratche (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) hit the opening jumper of the game to give the Scots a 2-0 in the first minute of play, but Endicott would go on a 22-6 run over the next ten minutes to build a 14-point lead.
The 22-8 score remained for the next six minutes of play, as neither team could find room for an uncontested shot. The Gulls had several second-chance opportunities, but Gordon's low post presence altered shots to keep Endicott's lead at 14 points.
With just a tick under four minutes remaining in the half, sophomore transfer Olivia Vetere (Mahopac, N.Y.) sparked the Scots into a big scoring run. Vetere hit a jumper to break the six minutes of scoring silence and then scored again only a few seconds later on a fast-break layup after stealing the ball.
Lauren Kranyak (Locust Grove, Va.) scored the Scots next seven points, including a deep three to bring the team within a 23-19 deficit with only a few seconds remaining in the half. The Gulls added two more points on a pair of free throws by Jennifer White, who was fouled with 0.2 seconds on the clock to give Endicott a six-point lead at the break.
The Scots continued their run into the second half, scoring the half's first six points to tie the game for the first time since it was knotted at two points a side in the game's opening minute.
Despite the Scots' erasing a 14-point lead in just over five minutes of game play, Endicott did not seem to press on the offensive end. The shots that did not fall during Gordon's 17-3 run started to drop the possession after the Scots tied the game.
Endicott (4-1) pressured the Scots into a handful of turnovers over the next five minutes of play, as the Gulls went on a 12-2 run to regain a double-digit lead.
Gordon got as close as four points at 37-33 with 11:42 to play in regulation, but they could not overcome several minutes of not scoring down the stretch. Endicott got to the line for 10 shots in the second half—draining eight of them—to mask a 34% shooting percentage in the final stanza. The Gulls attempted 10 more free throws than the Scots.
Endicott's Kelsey Cuddy (Madison, Conn.) led all scorers with 13 points, but five other Gulls finished with at least seven points in a spread attack. Senior Samantha Crough added a double-double with 11 boards and 10 points.
Kratche, Kranyak and Fredi Nielsen (Bridgeport, Conn.) all finished with 12 points to lead the Scots. Vetere was the only other player to register a bucket, as she chipped in six points to round out the scoring. Guard Clancy Adams (Simsbury, Conn.) put in a gutsy performance by wrangling in a team-high seven rebounds.
The Scots (2-3) will look to rebound on Saturday when they travel to Dudley to take on Nichols at 2:00 p.m.
