KEENE, N.H. 1/12/10 - Junior center Melissa Teel  (Hamden, Conn.) posted a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Western Connecticut  women's basketball team to a 60-55 Little East Conference victory over Keene State College at Spaulding Gym on Tuesday night.

Teel, who was 7-9 from the field also, had six blocks in the game.

The loss spoiled a career high 23 point performance by KSC sophomore forward Courtney Cirillo (Windsor, Conn.).

Keene State falls to 8-4 and 2-2 in conference play. Western Conn. improves to 12-2 and remains undefeated (4-0) in the LEC.    

Trailing by as many as nine points (18-9) in the first half, the Owls came back to tie the score at 22-all after senior Kristin Degou (Newburyport, Mass.) found sophomore Meghan Farrell (Chester, Vt.) down low for a lay-up with 1:22 to go in the half.

The Colonials scored the final five points of the half to take a 27-22 lead into the locker room.

Keene State battled back to tie the game twice in the second half, the last time on a baseline jumper by Cirillo on a feed from senior Nicole Simmler (Oxford, Mass.) that knotted the score at 53-all with 2:30 to play.

The Owls had a chance to take the lead after Simmler stole an inbounds pass, but KSC turned the ball back over to Western Conn.

Junior guard Karli Spera (Waterford, Conn.) scored the next four points for the Colonials, knocking down a key baseline three-pointer and then hitting a free throw to put Western up 57-53 with 23 seconds to play. Teel and sophomore guard Stephanie Slonski (Griswold, Conn.) made free throws in the final seconds to secure the win for the Colonials.   

Degou also finished in double figures for KSC, who struggled from the field 19-59 (32%) and from behind the arc 4-14 (29%). 

Junior guard Heather Lee (Seymour, Conn.) scored 15 points and Slonski and Spera each finished with 10 points for WCSU.

Keene State plays rare weekday matinee on Thursday at Worcester State (12 p.m.).   Western Conn. host Westfield State on Thursday (7 p.m.).