Nighthawks Fall to Eagles

Nashua, N.H. - Junior guard Joyce Chagan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) erupted for a game-high 28 points and sophomore Vanessa Bosques (N. Windham, N.H.) knocked down 22 as the Daniel Webster College women's basketball team roared back from a nine-point second half deficit to down upset-minded Newbury College, 73-68 in a NECC matchup Saturday at Mario Vagge Gymnasium.

The Eagles reached the midpoint of their conference schedule remaining perfect at 8-0, while winning their third straight in improving to 13-4 overall.

Sophomore Alycia Gervais (Windham, Conn.) added eight points and a team-high eight rebounds for the hosts, while freshman Ariel Guzman (Yonkers, N.Y.) added six points, three assists and three steals.

Junior Ashley Monteiro (Cambridge, Mass.) led the Nighthawks (5-8, 3-5 NECC) with 23 points including four three-pointers, while rookie Catherine O'Connell (Quincy, Mass.) added a double double of 19 points and 23 rebounds. Freshman Jalisa Fields (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in with nine points.

Trailing by nine (61-52) with 6:11 to go, a Eagles went to a full court press that caused six Newbury turnovers over the next three and half minutes. The press allowed DWC to put together an 11-2 run including a Chagan layup and Bosques three that tied it at 63 with 3:33 left.

A Monteiro three-point play gave the lead back to Newbury, but a Bosques layup off a turnover and another Chagan inside move regained the Eagle lead (67-66) with 2:03 left.

After forcing another turnover, Chagan again drove in the lane for a three-point game with 1:37 left.

O'Connell trimmed the lead with layup with 36 seconds left, but the Eagles sank all four shots at the line to close it out.

Trailing by five at the break (39-34), the Eagles had came out firing with a 10-0 run over the opening three minutes of the second, including back-to-back layups from Guzman and Bosques that built a six-point (45-39) lead.

Trailing by five (49-44) with 13 minutes left, Newbury cobbled the deficit to two and Monteiro followed with a layup and three in the left corner for a 50-49 lead with 9:34 left.

After the Eagles pulled back ahead 52-50 on a Chagan layup and Gervais free throw, Newbury bolted ahead with an 11-0 run sparked by two layups from O'Connell and another Monteiro three and the Nighthawks had the Eagles reeling with a 61-52 lead with 6:11 to go.

The Eagles has led by as many as seven in the opening frame (34-27), but Newbury held the Eagles scoreless over the final 3:30 of the half to build their five-point lead.

The Eagles survived despite being outrebounded for the first time in 10 games and for just the third time all season as the Nighthawks finished with a sizable advantage (47-34) including 18 on the offensive glass.

The Eagles return to action Tuesday night hosting Southern Vermont College in a NECC meeting tipping off at 7:00 p.m.

Newbury hosts Suffolk Monday night at 7:00 p.m. in a nonleague matchup.

- Game story submitted by Ken Belbin, Sports Information Director - Daniel Webster College

- Game photo provided by Samantha Yanofsky