Pride Fall in Season Opener

BIDDEFORD, Maine – Regis College played even with the University of New England through the first quarter, but the Nor'easters pulled away in the next two quarters and then held on down the stretch for a 68-53 victory over the Pride Friday night in both teams' first game of the 2019-20 season held at the Harold Alfond Forum.

Arie Searcy (Santa Rosa, Calif.) led the Pride with 14 points and four steals, while Marissa Prall (Hopkinton, Mass.) hit three three-pointers as she finished with 11 points and five rebounds. In her collegiate debut, Mackenzie Emery (Standish, Maine) contributed 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, and Nikki Bitinaitis (Cromwell, Conn.) added six points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

The first quarter went back and forth with four ties and five lead changes. UNE's Sierra Tartre answered an Emery three-pointer with one of her own, but a jumper by Erin Leahy (Hanson, Mass.) tied the game at 12-12. After Katrina Krenzer made one free throw, Emery hit her second three-pointer of the quarter right before the buzzer to put the Pride on top, 15-13.

The Nor'easters scored the first nine points of the second quarter, featuring consecutive three-pointers by Sadie Nelson and Jocelyn Chaput, to take a seven-point lead before Prall hit a three-pointer six minutes into the quarter to stop the run. Krenzer made two more free throws in the final minute of the half to extend the UNE lead to 30-24 at halftime.

University of New England (1-0) opened the third quarter with 11 unanswered points to increase its lead to 17 before Searcy made a free throw four minutes into the second half. A three-pointer by Abby Cavallaro capped a 7-0 Nor'easter run as the home team eventually took a 50-32 lead into the final quarter.

The Pride fought back, scoring eight straight points in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter and finally bringing their deficit back into single digits thanks to two free throws apiece from Searcy and Bitinaitis. However, the Nor'easters would close out the game with an 8-2 scoring run.

Cavallaro led the Nor'easters with 14 points, five assists, and three steals, plus she pulled down six rebounds, while Krenzer scored 12 points and Nelson added 10 points and three steals. Kaylee Beyor led all players with 11 rebounds as the Nor'easters won the rebounding battle, 47-38, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 17 second chance points.

As a team, the Pride shot just 30 percent (18-of-60) from the field, including 5-of-25 from behind the three-point line, and 60 percent (12-of-20) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, the Nor'easters shot 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the field, including 8-of-18 from behind the three-point line, and 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from the free throw line.

Regis (0-1) stays in Maine overnight to get ready for its second game in as many nights, facing Southern Maine Saturday, Nov. 9, starting at 7 p.m.