Sammie Battaini, whose nickname is Sammie B, took on another sobriquet on Saturday, when she knocked down six three-pointers. Call her Sammie three.
Battaini’s game high 19 points led Western New England past Commonwealth Coast Conference opponent Curry College, 72-50. The Golden Bears improve their record to 11-7 (6-6 CCC) and the Colonels fall to 11-8 (8-4 CCC).
Junior Chelsea Vujs recorded a double-double, totaling 12 points and 12 rebounds, while dishing out five assists.
Battaini corralled a long rebound and threw a full-court pass to hit Emily Anderson(six points) in stride, who dropped it in for the Golden Bears first points from the floor. Battaini came down two possessions later and drilled a trey, giving the Golden Bears and early 7-2 lead. WNE’s early run was extended to 11-2 when Anderson found space, fighting around a screen and knocking down a long two pointer.
The Golden Bears’ menacing defense extended out to the perimeter, where they denied shooters and forbid any passes inside. The superior defense forced a missed layup, and the Golden Bears worked the ball up court—found Battaini, who drilled her second three-pointer of the half. This extended their lead 25-16, with 5:24 left in the first half.
The Golden Bears’ lead was improved to 31-20, on a broken play down low, with the ball finding its way back up top to Battaini, who didn’t hesitate to add another three-ball.
With time winding down in the first half, Battaini missed a shot, but Vujs swooped in and grabbed the rebound, finishing in traffic, giving the Golden Bears a 30-24 lead. With one second remaining on the clock, Curry inbounded and Kerry White nailed a full-court shot to end the half.
The Golden Bears’ first half shooting was led by Sammie Battaini’s 13 points, consisting of four three-pointers. The Golden Bears outshot the Colonels in the first half, posting a 44.8 percentage from the field, compared to Curry’s 28.6 percentage. WNE also controlled the boards early on, pulling down 24 first-half rebounds; Curry grabbed 17.
The Golden Bears picked up where they left off in the second half, controlling the tempo of the game, and scoring with ease.
White went up for a layup for the Colonels, and Vujs’ strong presence altered the shot, and the Golden Bears took over on offensive—Vujs leading the push. She beat her defender, and dished it back out to Battaini, whose red-hot shooting continued with another three, making it 37-23, in favor of the Golden Bears.
McCann’s low-post play added to the Golden Bears’ surge, and was able to coincide with the strong outside shooting, with a high-low post offense. When the bigs popped up, the guards fed them on the high post, opening the outside for the three-ball. McCann, created space and popped up—found her opening, took a step back and nailed a corner jumper, with 11 minutes and 27 seconds left in the game, giving WNE a 51-34 lead.
The Golden Bears began to put the game out of reach, when they extended their lead to 59-40. Curry missed a basket, and Dorothy O’ Neill grabbed a long rebound—she found a streaking Vujs up court, who finished with an easy lay in. Battaini hit her sixth three-pointer with 1:58 left in the game, when she spotted up on the wing, and received the ball after swift passing from the Golden Bears.
Efficient offensive play aided the Golden Bears’ effort throughout the entire game. They shot 47.5 percent from the field, on 28-of-59. The Colonels struggled from the floor, hitting 22-of-66 for a 33.3 field-goal percentage. The Golden Bears’ hot shooting was made possible by the crisp passing, which resulted in 24 assists.
Kerry White scored 16 points for Curry, and Alyssa Keeney added seven.
The Golden Bears will face off against Gordon on Tuesday at home, in another CCC matchup.
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