Hawks close out AMCATS in defensive battle, 45-39

PAXTON, Mass. (02.08.11)  – Led by Kaitlyn Bovee's (Berlin,Conn.) nine points and game-high 17 rebounds, the Roger Williams University women's basketball team defeated Anna Maria College, 45-39, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference match-up at The Fuller Activities Center on Tuesday evening. The win improves the Hawks to 13-8 (6-4 TCCC), while the loss drops the AMCATS to 7-15 (1-9 TCCC).

Elizabeth Kilzi (Waverly, P.A.) and Alexandra Lanieri (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) also played well for the visitors, as Kilzi added a team-high 11 points and Lanieri filled the stat sheet with six points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. 

Chelsea Blair (Holland, Mass.) paced the AMCATS with a double-double, scoring a game-high 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds and six blocks.  Samantha Ashton (Worcester, Mass.) also played well, adding nine points, five rebounds, and three steals in the loss.    

The first nine minutes of the contest was a low-scoring affair, as Roger Williams held a 7-6 lead with 10:58 remaining in the half.  The Hawks distanced themselves with a 6-0 run on three consecutive lay-ups by Kate Malenczak (Sayville, N.Y.), Alexandria Lanieri, and Kaitlyn Bovee, to push the score to 13-6.  The teams continued to trade buckets the rest of the half, as Roger Williams took a 26-16 lead into intermission.

The first half was a defensive battle, as both teams shot under 30% from the field during the period.  The perimeter defense was especially good, as the Hawks went just 2-for-14 from beyond the arc and the AMCATS failed to convert on any of their six attempts from dowtown.

Bovee was instrumental in building the first half lead for Roger Williams, accumulating team-highs in points (5) and rebounds (7).  Kayla Cummings (Auburn, Maine) and Chelsea Blair kept Anna Maria close, as both added a half-high six points, with Blair also adding six boards. 

The AMCATS came storming out of the gates in the second-half, cutting the Roger Williams advantage to two after an 8-0 run.  Blair added four points, while Ashton and Alison McCarthy (Lynn, Mass.) added two a piece during the comeback attempt. 

The run quickly ended, as a lay-up by Bovee and two free-throws by Paige Congdon (Westwood, Mass.) pushed the RWU advantage back to five with 9:51 to play.

Anna Maria refused to go quietly, responding with a 7-0 run capped by a jumper from Ashton to take a 35-33 lead with 6:27 remaining. It was the AMCATS' first lead since the beginning of the opening half.

After a made free-throw cut the Anna Maria lead to one, a clutch three-pointer by Kate Malenczak gave RWU the lead back with 3:47 left to play.

Blair knotted the game at 39-39 with 2:45 left, however Lanieri answered with a jumper at the other end to put the Hawks back on top with 1:46 left to play. 

The AMCATS weren't able to capitalize on their opportunities in the waning minutes of play, while the Hawks received a pair of made free-throws by both Kilzi and Bovee to wrap-up the 45-39 victory.   

Despite holding the Hawks to 18.5% shooting from the field in the second half and dominating points in the paint by a 30-14 margin in the game, the AMCATS were unable to complete the comeback, as the Hawks escaped with a hard-earned TCCC victory. 

Both teams continue TCCC play on Saturday, with Roger Williams hosting Regis College at 1:00 pm while the AMCATS host New England College at 3:00 pm.