Vikings get victory over Seahawks, 81-77

SALEM, Mass. (Saturday, November 11, 2023) -- Salve Regina University women's basketball scored the first eight points of the game before Salem State University chipped away on its own floor at the Twohig Gymnasium. The teams were tied at 73-73 before the Vikings pulled away for the home victory, 81-77, in non-league action on Saturday afternoon.

The Seahawks (1-1, 0-0 NEWMAC) were paced by junior Ashley Rourke (Londonderry, N.H.) who led all players with 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting including a game high three 3-pointers.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Salem State 81, Salve Regina 77
Records: Salve Regina (1-1, 0-0 NEWMAC), Salem State (2-0, 0-0 MASCAC)
All-Time Series: Salem State evens the series at two wins apiece. The programs first met in Salem, Massachusetts, in 2002, and were set for their second meeting in 2020 before COVID-19 rendered that season virtually without games. Starting anew in 2021, Salve Regina had won the last two meetings, away and then home.

SUMMARY:

• 1Q -  After a steal by Briana Neary and Morgan Shuey converted a second-chance opportunity with a layup, Salve Regina started the game with an 8-0 run in the first two minutes. Neary made a 3-pointer and then her younger sister, Sofia Neary, followed that with her own 3-pointer. The Seahawks would score just eight points in the final eight minutes of the opening stanza. A layup by Kylie Gates put the Vikings up one (15-14) before Deanna Linscott finished the first-quarter scoring with her first basket with an assist from Ashley Rourke. | Seahawks 16, Vikings 15
• 2Q -  Abuk Teng had the first points of the second quarter for an early Viking advantage, but the Seahawks got successive buckets from Marissa Forino, Amanda Folan, and Ashley Rourke. Rourke's 3-pointer at 6:29 matched the Seahawks' largest lead (27-19). After Sofia Neary's free throws gave Salve Regina a 31-23 advantage, Ernidia Goncalves and Nicolette D'Itria capped a 15-2 run for the Vikings that gave Salem State the lead at the break. | Vikings 36, Seahawks 34
• 3Q -  Amanda Folan's layup at 8:29 returned the lead back to the Seahawks, 37-36. Abigail Bunce's old-fashioned three-point play tied the score at 47-all. Folan and Morgan Shuey made four straight free throws for Salve Regina and Nicolette D'Itria matched them with four of her own. Salve Regina trailed 55-52 before Folan's trey knotted the score with 2:37 left. Ashley Rourke and Sofia Neary both hit jumpers and Marissa Forino added a free throw for the Seahawks to reach 60 points. | Seahawks 60, Vikings 59
• 4Q -  Two baskets from Nicolette D'Itria and a 3-pointer for Jaylen Nieves (the only made trey for the Vikings) gave Salem State its largest lead at 66-60. Ashley Rourke responded with her third and final 3-pointer. Abuk Teng got a basket and one before Rourke, Briana Neary, and Sofia Neary had the next three baskets to tie the game at 69-69. The Nearys traded layups with Kylie Gates and Nicolette D'Itria for a 73-all score. Teng and Goncalves put the Vikings up four (77-73) and Salve Regina never caught up. | Vikings 81, Seahawks 77

NOTEWORTHY:

• Salve Regina led by one point after the first and third quarters.
• With the first eight points and then later a 29-21 advantage, the Seahawks enjoyed the largest lead of the game. Salem State's biggest advantage was six points on two occasions in the final quarter.
• Vikings made one of eight 3-point attempts.
• Salve Regina made six of 27 from long range.
• Ashley Rourke led all players with 22 points on 8-of-19 from the floor including 3-of-11 behind the arc.
• Sofia Neary and Briana Neary both finished with double-doubles for the Seahawks, both with a dozen rebounds and 18 points for Sofia and 15 points for Briana.
• Kylie Gates led the hosts with 20 points while Ernidia Goncalves had 12 boards.
• Rourke also had a team-high five assists for the Seahawks.

ON THE HORIZON:
Salve Regina host UMass Dartmouth on Wednesday, November 14 (7 p.m.), at the Rodgers Recreation Center.