'KEENE, N.H. 11/18/05 - The Keene State College women's basketball team opened up its 2005-06 season with a 90-54 victory over Curry College in a first-round game of the PC Connection KSC Tip-off Tournament played Friday at Spaulding Gym.

Keene State will play Fitchburg State in Saturday's championship game (3 p.m.) FSC defeated Castleton State 72-61 in the other first round contest.  Curry will take on Castleton State in Saturday's consolation game at 1 p.m.

Junior forward Sarah Begnoche (Millville, Mass.) had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead KSC.  Senior guard Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass.), who hit four of her six three-point attempts, finished with 14 points, and junior forward Caitlin Jamiel (Cranston, R.I.) added 10 points and six rebounds.  Freshman forward Jenn Kinney (Salem, N.H.) came off the bench to score nine points and pull down 10 rebounds in her first Owl game.

The Owls gradually pulled away from Colonels on the way to building a 41-19 halftime lead.  KSC buried three straight three-pointers to take an early 11-4 lead.   Leading 20-10, KSC went on a 15-4 run to increase its advantage to 35-14 on a three-pointer by Hopkins with 3:51 to play. Begnoche had eight points and eight rebounds in the first half while sophomore guard Bonnie Hirtle (Quincy, Mass.) topped Curry with six first half points.

KSC maintained its lead in the second half, going up 58-33 on a layup by Hopkins following a steal by Michelle Boudreau (Readsboro, Vt.).   

Hirtle finished with a game-high 17 points tolead Curry. Junior guard Colleen Dunne (East Granby, Conn) had 11 points with freshman forward Christina Sancinito (Wakefield, Mass.) finished with eight rebounds.

KSC , which sot 61 % from the field in the second half, hit eight of 21 three-point attempts, had a 53-41 advantage on the boards, and forced 37 Colonel turnovers in the game.

FITCHBURG STATE DEFEATS CASTLETON STATE 72-61

KEENE, N.H. 11/18/05 - Fitchburg State defeated Castleton State 72-61 in the tournament second game.

Four Falcons scored in double figures; Junior guard D'Yana Delpero (Peabody, Mass.) led the way with 18 points.  Senior forward Jen Fontaine (Dracut, Mass.) finished with 16 points and a team-best six rebounds, junior guard Nicole McMahon (Waltham, Mass.) had 14 points, and freshman forward Steph Payette (Townsend, Mass.) added 12 points.

Fitchburg State, which hit seven of its first nine three-point attempts, raced out to an 18-2 lead in the game.

With the score 31-17, FSC finished the half with a 10-2 spurt to take a 41-19 halftime lead.  Fontaine had 14 first half points for the Falcons.  The Spartans of Castleton never threatened the lead the rest of the way. Fitchburg hit 12 of 19 three-pointers in the game.

Junior guard Carley Amedore (Schenectady, N.Y.) scored 12 points, guards Jessica Banks (Milford, Conn.) and Rachel Hunt (Pittsfield, Vt.) had 11 points each and junior guard Carrie Black (Warrensburg, N.Y.) had a team-high 11 rebounds.