'PROVIDENCE, R.I.  2/8/03  –  A pair of freshmen led Keene State College to a 67-52 victory over R.I. College in a Little East Conference women's basketball game played Saturday in Providence.  Stacey Morse (Lebanon, N.H.) had a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds and Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, MA.) tied her season high with 13 points to lead the Owls.

The victory snapped KSC's (13-8, 5-5 LEC) three game losing streak while RIC drops to 3-18 (1-8 LEC).

Hitting their first six three-pointers of the game, KSC built up an 11 point (22-11) lead midway in the first half and settled for seven point advantage (36-29) at the break.

KSC finally pulled away from the Anchorwomen with just under nine minutes to play. After RIC got the lead down to five (40-35), the Owls answered with an 11-3 run that put KSC ahead (51-38).  Morse had six points in the run.  Ten of KSC's last 12 points came from the line. The Owls were 23-of-26 from the line in the game.

"I thought we were more patient and deliberate in the second half," said KSC Coach Keith Boucher.  "We held on to the ball for good shots, and made them play defense."

Cathy Mechare (Falls Village, CT) and Julie Tardif (Atkinson, N.H.) each finished with nine points while Hayley Alaimo (Ellington, CT) finished with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Abby Ferri led the Anchorwomen with 14 points.

KSC, which defeated RIC 89-48 earlier this season in Keene, has won its last eight games against the Anchorwomen.

Keene State host 17th ranked Eastern CT on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).

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