BIDDEFORD — Junior Kelly Coleman scored a game-high 19 points to help keep the University of New England women’s basketball team unbeaten in Commonwealth Coast Conference play with a 67-54 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology Tuesday eveningat the Harold Alfond Forum.

The win improves UNE’s overall ledger to 8-1 while moving to 4-0 in conference play. The Leopards now stand at 3-7 overall, 0-4 in CCC action. Winners of 29 consecutive CCC regular-season contests, the Nor’easters have won 10 straight meetings with Wentworth.

Coleman, the reigning CCC Player of the Week, was 9-for-11 at the free throw line and added nine rebounds for UNE. Sophomore Lauren Hayden (Chantilly, Va.) contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, while first-year center Alicia Brown added eight points, eight boards and three blocked shots.

Senior forward Kendra Kerr scored 16 of her team-high 18 points after halftime to help the Leopards prevent UNE from putting the game away. She also chipped in a game-best 12 rebounds and was 9 of 12 at the free throw stripe. 

Senior forward Ashley Stowe recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 caroms. Sophomore guard Rachel Camara (Fall River, Mass.) and rookie forward Kellie Messer combined for 16 rebounds for Wentworth, which led 52-43 in that category.

The Nor’easters never trailed in the contest. With the scored tied at 5-5 in the early stages of the first frame, Big Blue scored 13 straight points to grab control. Brown and junior forward Kendra Dawless each scored four points during the spurt.

UNE would go on to lead 33-20 at intermission, holding Wentworth to 25 percent (7 of 28) accuracy from the floor.

The Nor’easters opened the second half with a 7-2 run to grab an 18-point (40-22) cushion and appeared as if they would breeze the rest of the way, but the Leopards battled back and eventually got within seven (43-36) on a layup by Stowe with 11:52 on the clock.

UNE would drop in three consecutive buckets to reclaim momentum and led by nine or more the rest of the way.

For the game, Big Blue’s defense limited Wentworth to 29 percent (18 of 62) accuracy from the floor while forcing 22 Leopard turnovers.

Each team returns to action Thursday with a conference outing. Wentworth hosts Eastern Nazarene College at 5:30 p.m. and UNE heads to Salve Regina University for a 5:30 p.m. tilt.

Men’s Basketball

BIDDEFORD — Wentworth Institute of Technology made 16 three-pointers on 59 percent accuracy from long distance to coast past the University of New England, 74-40, in Commonwealth Coast Conference men’s basketball action Tuesday evening at the Harold Alfond Forum.

With their third straight win, the Leopards (3-1 CCC) move to 6-5 on the season. The Nor’easters fall back to 1-10 overall, 1-3 in league matches.

First-year reserve Jherson Colon paced Wentworth with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from deep. Senior Derek Mayo added 11 points and seven rebounds, while junior John-Michael Fragnoli chipped in with 10 points and six boards.

For the game, the visitors connected on 50 percent of their field goal attempts and posted a 42-27 advantage on the glass.

UNE received a team-high 11 points from senior Kurt Steiner (Rutland, Mass.). First-year Tom Nason scored 10 points in 11 minutes of play during the second half.

Big Blue struggled to find the range all night, making just 25.5 percent (14 for 55) from the floor and 23 percent (3 of 13) from behind the arc.

After the Nor’easters started with a 7-5 edge less than five minutes into the contest, the Leopards rattled off a 19-0 run in nine minutes to take control. Wentworth scored 21 of its 29 first-half points on treys and maintained a lead of 17 (29-12) at intermission.

WIT stayed hot following the break, and drained nine of its initial 11 shots from three-point-land in the frame to build the margin up to as many as 39 (70-31).

The Leopards will be at home for the first time in five games on Thursday, entertaining Eastern Nazarene College at 7:30 p.m.

UNE heads to Salve Regina University the same day and time.

Men’s Hockey

BRUNSWICK — Connor Quinn scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with just over seven minutes remaining, to help the Bowdoin College Polar Bears rally for a 4-3 non-league victory over the University of New England in men’s ice hockey action Tuesday evening at Sidney J. Watson Arena.

After a scoreless first period, Bowdoin (6-3-2) fell behind 2-0 when UNE’s David Goff and Patrick Borer scored just over two minutes apart at the outset of the second. Goff lifted a shot through a crowd in front of the Bowdoin cage to convert on the power play at 3:30 of the frame, then Borer notched his first collegiate goal with a slap shot from the high slot.

The advantage would be short-lived, however, as the Polar Bears tallied twice in a span of 18 seconds midway through the period. Danny Palumbo got Bowdoin into the scoring column, burying a slap shot from in between the circles at the 9:46 mark. Quinn then knotted the score at two when he converted a backhander from close range.

Goals continued to come as UNE’s Zach Lokey scored at 10:31, then Bowdoin’s John McGinnis tallied at 10:58 to complete the scoring in the period.

Quinn provided the margin for victory at 12:54 of the third, collecting a rebound near the left post and slipping the puck into the cage.

Bowdoin led 37-25 in shots on goal and received 22 saves from winning goaltender Steve Messina.

Craig Ryan had a total of 33 stops for the Nor’easters (5-8-1), who got a pair of assists from Nick Kolb.

Women’s Hockey

HARRISVILLE, R.I. — Grace Murphy netted a pair of goals as Nichols College defeated the University of New England women’s ice hockey team on Tuesday evening (Jan. 7) at Levy Rink.

The triumph lifts the Bison to 3-8 on the year, as Big Blue dips back to 5-5-3 overall with the setback.

UNE upped the pressure after falling behind by two midway through the 3rd period, and got one back with 4:16 left courtesy of first-year Gabby Crugnale. Classmate Gabriella Moscato assisted on the goal.

The Nor’easters out-shot the hosts, 11-7, in the final frame, but could not find the equalizer before time expired.

Murphy had scored a little over six minutes into the contest to put the Bison in front.

Tori Gianformaggio posted 26 saves to get the win for Nichols, while her counterpart, UNE first-year Sydney Helmbrecht, made 25 stops on the other end.

Big Blue is set to take part in the Rutland Herald Invitational on Friday (4 p.m.) and Saturday, beginning with tournament host Castleton State College in the opener.

The Bison are off until January 18 when they welcome in the College of Holy Cross.