Box
Score
BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Senior Kayla Morin (Pascoag, R.I.) scored
a game-high 33 points to lead the Plymouth State College women's
basketball team to a 77-69 victory over host Babson College in the
semifinal round of the sixth annual Babson Invitational Tournament
presented by Irving Oil on Friday night. With the win, the Panthers
(2-0) advance to Saturday's Championship Game at 3 p.m., while
Babson (0-1) will play in the Consolation Game at 1 p.m.
Morin's game-high 33 came on 10-of-17 shooting from the field,
including an outstanding 8-of-10 clip from three-point range, and a
5-of-6 mark from the free throw line. The 5-foot-7 forward also
added six rebounds and three assists in the winning cause.
First-year Alicia Doucet (Manchester, N.H.) chipped in with 11
points, five boards, and two blocks, and junior guard Kalie Judd
(Peabody, Mass.) finished a brilliant performance with nine
assists, six rebounds, and four steals while committing just two
turnovers.
Babson was led by the trio of first-year Kathleen King
(Framingham, Mass.), first-year Nicole Wurdeman
(Rowley, Mass.), and sophomore Becky Bowman
(Melrose, Mass.), who combined for 51 of the team's 69
total points. King finished with a team-high 18 points, Wurdeman
added 17 points, five rebounds, and three steals, and Bowman netted
16 points to go with five rebounds and eight assists.
The Beavers opened the contest with a quick 7-0 run, but
Plymouth State answered with a 10-0 spurt fueled by eight points
from Doucet. The game would remain close until the nine-minute
mark, when the Panthers embarked on a 12-2 barage that featured
eight points from Morin as the visitors took a 32-24 lead with 6:28
left in the half. Plymouth State still led by as many as seven with
1:17 remaining, but Babson closed the period with six straight
points to cut its deficit to 36-35 at the break.
Still holding a one-point lead at 53-52 midway through the
second, Plymouth State surged ahead with an 8-1 run that was fueled
by five straight points from Morin and a three-pointer by
first-year Michaela Galvin (Windham, N.H.) that made it 61-53 with
6:26 remaining. The Panthers would later build their lead to as
many as 12 at 71-59 before holding off a late Babson rally en route
to the eventual 77-69 victory.
