Big Second Quarter Pulls Keene State Away from Worcester State

WORCESTER, Mass. – Keene State College's 21-7 advantage in the second quarter lifted the Owls over the Lancers for good, claiming a 71-53 victory at Worcester State's eighth annual "Math Madness" game on Monday afternoon at the Harrington Auditorium.

With the win, the Owls improve to 12-1 on the season, while the Lancers dip to 4-10.

The Lancers' got on the board first from a 3-pointer by freshman forward, Kaitlyn Berkel (Waterford, Conn.) with 7:58 remaining in the first quarter. It wasn't long after until Keene State's Kelsey Cognetta (Stamford, Conn.) returned the favor, netting a three to tie the game at three. Keene State took the lead moments later, until Worcester State went on a 9-0 run to go ahead 12-7 with 4:02 remaining in the period. Keene State's Sandi Purcell (Hudson, N.H.) was on fire, draining three 3-pointers within the last four minutes of play. Worcester State kept up with the pace, as the teams went into the second quarter tied at 16.

Keene State's key quarter was the second, as they outscored the Lancers 21-7 in that stanza. With a well-rounded performance from the Owls' offensive end, they went into halftime with a 14 point advantage over Worcester State. In the first half, Keene State shot 48.4% from the field, and 45.5% from behind the 3-point arc. The Owls' defense in the first two quarters forced 14 Lancer turnovers, resulting in the extra points on their end.

In the third quarter, the Lancers tried to hold off the Owls, but struggled to close the gap. The Owls were up 52-36 at the end of the third period, and went into the fourth quarter up by 16. The Owls gained their largest lead of 24 with 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter when Cognetta nailed two shots from behind the 3-point line. Worcester State's sophomore guard, Brianna Hackett (Hollis, N.H.) drained two three's in the final minutes along with a layup from Britt Herring (W. Brookfield, Mass.). Though, it wasn't enough time for a comeback as the game resulted in a 71-53 final score.

Purcell recorded a game-high 23 points for the Owls, going 5-for-7 (71.4%) from behind the 3-point line. Cognetta netted 16 points and a game-high five steals, while Valerie Martin (Derry, N.H.) and Sarah Kober (Easthampton, Mass.) notched seven points apiece. Kober led Keene State on the boards, grabbing a game-high 10 (three offensive).

The Lancers were led by Berkel, who registered 13 points and five rebounds. Scoring 12 points was Hackett and senior guard, Natasha Gonzalez (Milford, Mass.) netted 11.

Keene State outrebounded Worcester State 39-32, and also forced 25 Lancer turnovers throughout the entirety of the game. The Owls shot an overall 41.7% from the field, and 40.9% from behind the 3-point arc. The Lancers only shot 36.5% and 37.5% from the field and behind the arc, respectively.

Next up the Lancers will host MASCAC opponent, Fitchburg State, on Saturday (Jan. 16) at 1:00 p.m. on the campus of Clark University. Keene State hosts Western Connecticut State University on Wednesday (Jan. 13) for a LEC matchup at 5:30 p.m.