BENNINGTON, Vt. – Becker College outscored the hosting Southern Vermont College women's basketball team in each of the first three quarters Thursday night en route to taking a 65-51 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) victory at the Mountaineer Athletic Center.

The Hawks led 32-23 at halftime and increased that cushion by 10 through the next stanza. The separation was big enough to last through the final period as the visitors grabbed their second league win of the year.

Southern Vermont (1-4, 1-1 NECC) concludes its three-game home stand on Saturday, hosting Lesley University for a 1 p.m. NECC tilt. Becker (2-4, 2-0 NECC) is next in action at the same time on Saturday, heading to Newbury College for its final Conference contest before the winter break.

SVC freshman Sarah Poirier (Ferrisburgh, Vt.) led her team with 11 points and seven boards while senior Sarah McDonald (Cohoes, N.Y.) followed with 10 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench. Senior captain Amber Dow (Panton, Vt.) also reached double figures, scoring 10 points while grabbing seven rebounds for the Mountaineers. Freshman Kelly Dobbert (Stamford, Vt.) had a season-best nine points to go with her two boards in 22 minutes of reserve time.

Becker turned in a well-rounded offensive performance with its bench scoring 40 of the Hawks' 65 points. Freshman Cassidy Harrison (Foxborough, Mass.) was the only visitor to notch double digits in the scoring column, pouring in 13 in just 12 minutes on the floor. Sophomore Avrie Bassingthwaite (Swanzey, N.H.) followed with nine points and three rebounds in 15 minutes of reserve time, and sophomore Erin Gaudette (Spencer, Mass.) tallied eight points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench. Sophomores Ciara McKissick (Charlton, Mass.) and Adrianna Dowdy (East Haven, Conn.) each pulled down a game-best 11 rebounds in the win.

Southern Vermont shot at a 32.8 percent (19-58) clip from the floor while the Hawks finished with just a 28.2 (22-78) field goal percentage. Still, Becker connected on 10 three-pointers to the Mountaineers' three and grabbed a 57-50 edge in rebounds. The Hawks also utilized their 27-19 advantage in turnovers for a 21-8 upper hand in points off of those giveaways.

Triples from Harrison and Becker freshman Kelsey Maynard (Millville, Mass.) helped give the visitors an early 7-2 lead, but Poirier dropped one of her own at the 6:22 mark of the first to get SVC within two. The Hawks responded with seven unanswered points to go up 14-5, Gaudette and sophomore Katey Anderson (Beachwood, N.J.) each hitting one from downtown on back-to-back possessions. Down by 11, Southern Vermont recorded the final two buckets of the quarter to send the game to the second with Becker on top 18-11.

The Mountaineers continued to chip away after the stoppage, McDonald dropping a jumper before hitting a pair of freebies to trim SVC's deficit to just three. The Hawks extended their lead once again, their first basket being when sophomore Kencia Calice (Randolph, Mass.) caught an offensive, air-ball rebound under the hoop while off the ground and turned it into a reverse layup for the two. Nearly three minutes went off the clock without the scoreboard changing, but Harrison then dropped a pair of triples in just 45 seconds' time to put the visitors in front 32-19. Southern Vermont went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 31 seconds to make it a 32-23 Becker lead at halftime.

Out of the intermission, Poirier swished home a three from the right edge on the first possession of the third quarter, and she followed that with another three at the same spot to keep the Mountaineers in striking distance. The treys continued to fall for Becker, however, as a Harrison catch-and-shoot from the left edge of the arc started a 10-0 Hawks run which put them ahead comfortably. Anderson and sophomore Tanisha Espino (Southbridge, Mass.) sandwiched a Dobbert basket with two more threes, and Espino added another bucket to make it a 54-35 Becker upper hand going into the fourth.

The two sides traded scores through the opening five minutes of the final quarter as the Hawks maintained their separation. Dobbert got a jumper to go to start a 7-0 SVC run, but it would not be enough as Becker held off any attempt at a late comeback to walk out with the league victory.

– #LetsGoSVC –