CCC QUARTERFINALS: No. 3 Endicott Downs No. 6 Curry, 82-43

BEVERLY, Mass. – The third-seeded Endicott women's basketball team defeated sixth-seeded Curry, 82-43, in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament quarterfinal round on Tuesday night at MacDonald Gymnasium.

Kaleigh Putnam (Wallingford, Conn.) highlighted the Gulls' efforts with 25 points, four rebounds, four assists, and a block.

Olivia Duncan (Essex Junction, Vt.) also filled the stat sheet via seven points, a career-high 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block, while Mikaela Rogers (Haverhill, Mass.) and Emily St. Thomas (Sterling, Mass.) contributed 10 points each.

The Gulls produced a 15-0 run to begin the contest (10:00-5:02) and never let off the gas pedal the rest of the way to advance to the CCC Semifinals.

During its 15-0 run, Endicott went 5-for-7 from the floor (.714), 3-for-3 from long distance, and 2-for-4 at the free throw line. The Gulls also outrebounded Curry, 8-1, and registered five second chance points throughout that stretch.

Putnam fueled the first quarter run with a game-high nine points (3-4 FG, 3-3 3PT), while Shannon Gilbert (Easton, Conn.) added five points (2-3 FG, 1-1 3PT) during the offensive outburst.

In total, Endicott finished the first quarter with a 20-6 advantage, which served as a stark contrast to last week's meeting between the two programs. In that contest last Saturday (2/22), the Gulls were outscored in the same frame by Curry, 9-8, before Endicott pulled away in the second half to claim a 75-53 victory in the season finale for both squads.

Meanwhile, as for the rest of tonight's game, Endicott went on to establish a 34-20 halftime lead and outscored Curry in the second half, 48-23, to shore up the win.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott is 4-1 in its last five playoff meetings against Curry.
• Three of those victories have come in the quarterfinals (2019-20, 82-43 | 17-18, 49-32 | 15-16, 68-66), while the other two contests were semifinal matchups (18-19, W, 67-51 | 14-15, L, 66-49).
• The Gulls are 33-7 all-time versus the Colonels.
• Endicott earned its ninth straight victory over Curry in tonight's contest.
• The nine-game winning streak dates back to 12/2/2017.
• The Gulls improved to 8-4 at home with tonight's triumph.
• Endicott has scored 20 or more points in the first quarter seven times this season (28 points, season-high vs. Nichols on 1/28/2020).
• Curry brought the contest within seven points (36-29) at the 6:58 mark of the third quarter, but Endicott answered with a 19-6 run, which included a 7-0 spurt (6:02-3:25), to collect a 55-35 lead headed into the fourth.
• The Colonels' seven-point deficit (36-29) was the closest they got to threatening the Gulls in the second half.
• Rogers also logged seven rebounds in the win to push her season total to 13 games wherein which she has compiled at least 10 points and five rebounds.
• Endicott is 3-0 this season when shooting 50-percent or better. Tonight, the Gulls went 30-for-60 from the field.
• The Gulls outscored Curry 30-16 in the paint and held a 25-10 differential in second chance points.

WHAT'S NEXT

No. 3 Endicott (16-10) will play No. 2 Roger Williams (17-9) in the CCC Semifinals on Thursday, February 27 at 6 PM. Meanwhile, Curry sees its 2019-20 season come to a close at 6-20 overall. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - Nick Grace '20)