MILTON, Mass. – The Curry College women's basketball team held off a late surge from Western New England University and won 59-50 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Wednesday evening in Milton. The Colonels improve to 10-12 overall and 7-8 in the CCC while the Golden Bears fall to 13-9 on the season and 10-5 in conference play.

Despite WNE opening the scoring with a jumper from junior Emily Anderson (Rocky Hill, Conn.), there were eight lead changes in the first quarter that eventually saw Curry end with the score in their favor at 13-11.

Anderson quickly put the Golden Bears back in the lead, opening the scoring in the second quarter with a three-pointer with 7:10 remaining. The teams spend the next five minutes trading scores and after freshman Emily Irwin (Billerica, Mass.) completed a three-point play, the Colonels took the lead 23-22 with a little under two and a half minutes left. Junior Sammie Olson (Tolland, Conn.) quickly responded with a three-pointer to put WNE in the lead heading into the half 25-23.

Olson ended up leading the game in scoring with nine points in the first half with Anderson right behind her with eight points. Irwin and senior Christina Deiorio (Stoughton, Mass.) led Curry, both scoring five and adding three steals. Sophomore Nicole Rice (Woburn, Mass.) led the game with nine first half rebounds and chipped in with three blocks as well.

Irwin tied the game up two minutes into the third quarter with a jump shot and more score-trading ensued. The Colonels got the lead and gave it back four times before ending the third on a 7-0 to go ahead by a score of 38-30.

Despite being down by seven at the least, the Golden Bears stuck around and looked to be formulating a comeback. However, a three-pointer from Irwin made WNE start to foul Curry, sending them to the foul line every time. The Colonels continued to further their lead until Irwin hit the last free throw to put the final score at 59-50.

Irwin finished with 15 points, a team-best and game second-high, while leading the game with seven assists and four steals and chipped in another six rebounds on top of that. Deiorio was right behind with 14 points, three assists and three steal. Rice and senior Shannon Griffith (West Hartford, Conn.) both grabbed 12 total rebounds, leading the game. Rice also recorded six blocked shots and Griffith blocked three.

Senior Chelsea Vujs (Berlin, Conn.) led the game with 17 points and added a team-high eight rebounds and added three assists and three steals as well. Olson finished with 14 and Anderson was right behind with 12.

Both teams return to conference action Saturday afternoon as the Colonels travel Nichols College for a 2:00 p.m. start and WNE hosts Eastern Nazarene College for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.