KEENE, N.H. - The Keene State women's basketball program opened up their 2016 campaign with a win, as the Owls edged Westfield State, 78-74, on Tuesday evening in Spaulding Gymnasium. 

Records 

• Keene State: 1-0, 0-0 LEC 
• Westfield State: 0-1, 0-0 MASCAC

Tale of the Tape 

• For Keene State, Emily McPadden led all players with a career-high 24 points, as Sandi Purcell followed with 14 points. Purcell also tallied seven rebounds and six assists, while Sarah Kober pulled down a game-high 16 boards. 
• For Westfield State, Jill Valley put forth a 19-point performance, while Kirsy Segarra added 14 points. Rebecca Sapouckey also added a team-high 10 rebounds. 
• The WSU Owls held an advantage of 22 steals to 11 over the KSC Owls, but Keene State held the margin in shooting percentage, as KSC shot 29-for-80 (36.3%) from the floor over Westfield State's 24-for-87 (27.6%) on the evening. 

First Half Highlights 

• Amanda Petrow opening up scoring, as the forward netted the first five points for the KSC Owls, earning a quick three-point lead in the opening minutes. The WSU Owls did not stay silent for long as a good jump shot from Valley drew a foul.  Valley converted the free throw to tie the game at nine apiece with 4:29 remaining in the first quarter. 
• Back-and-forth baskets kept the score close, but Lydia Vital netted one from behind the arc to put the KSC Owls up 18-14. A layup from Kober and a good free throw from Jasmin Mitchell closed out the first quarter with the KCS Owls holding a 21-14 lead. 
• The WSU Owls regained the tie at 21 with a layup from Segarra, and rallied to push their lead to 29-22 off of free throws from Sapouckey and Kierra McCarthy. 
• Keene State fought back with a 6-0 run to give each team 29, as the surge was capped off by a three-pointer from Vital. Although the KSC Owls kept the lead as time expired, the two teams went into halftime separated by just one-point, with Keene State holding the edge, 40-39. 

Second Half Highlights 

• Keene State opened the second half with a 13-2 run over Westfield State, with 6:04 remaining in the third quarter. The WSU Owls did not go away easily, as Westfield responded with a 10-0 run to tie the game, before Vital's layup with 45 seconds remaining thwarted the visitors from taking the lead. 
• The KSC Owls were able to hold the lead in the fourth quarter, as McPadden and Purcell's three-pointers boosted the gap, but Valley's layup with 16 seconds remaining, put the WSU Owls behind by only one. 
• A foul by the visitors gave Keene State the opportunity to earn the win, as two free-throws from Vital gave the KSC Owls a lead of 77-74 with 11 seconds on the clock, before Keene State rebounded and Purcell sealed the win by finishing off one more free throw.  

Up Next 

• Keene State will travel to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. for the Skidmore Tournament and take on No. 1 Tufts at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 18th. 
• Westfield State will compete in the Brandeis Tip Off Tournament, as the Owls open competition this Friday against RIC at 7:00 p.m.