SPRINGFIELD, Mass. 1/3/10 – After scoring a season low 29 points Sunday night against Tufts University, the Keene State College women's basketball team shot a season-high 45 percent (21-47) from the field in the 63-57 victory over host Springfield College in the Hampton Inn West Springfield/Naismith College consolation game Monday night.

Leading the way for the Owls, junior Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn.)  finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) netted 16 points, while Meghan Farrell (Chester, Vermont) was the only other Owl in double figures with 10 points.

KSC, who had lost five of their last six contests, improves to 4-6 on the season, while Springfield drops to 3-8 in the loss.

The Owls jumped out to a 13 point lead with 7:14 left in the first half on a three pointer by freshman point guard Ashlee Moussette (Southampton, Mass.) to give KSC a 25-12 lead.

Springfield surged back into the game, going on a 15-2 run, capped by a three by Abby Connors (Douglas, Mass.) with one minute left in the half to tie the game at 27 apiece.

Farrell hit a jumper with three seconds remaining to give the Owls a 29-27 lead heading into the break.

Cirillo, Moussette and Farrell combined to go 12-15 from the field in the period, and scored 27 of KSC's 29 points.

In the second half, the Owls broke the game open, opening the period with a 15-4 run to jump out to a 44-31 lead at the 12:35 mark on a free throw from Cirillo.

Springfield cut the lead down to 49-42 on a three pointer from Kelly Murphy (Mechanicville, N.Y.) and a jumper from Tamara Tribble (White Plains, N.Y.) with 8:26 remaining.

The Owls opened up a 15 point lead, their largest of the game, on a free throw from Laudano to make it 60-45 with 2:56 left in the game.

The Pride finished the game on a 12-3 run topped off by a three from Connors with ten seconds left, but the Owls held on for the 63-57 victory.

KSC was out rebounded by the Pride 40-28, including a 17-6 advantage on the offensive glass, but the Owls were able to get to the free throw line 21 times to Springfield's 10 attempts.

Next up for the Owls they will travel to Rhode Island College on Saturday for their Little East Conference showdown with the Anchorwomen at 1 p.m. Springfield travels to Babson on Thursday for a NEWMAC contest at 7 p.m.