NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The visiting Keene State women's basketball team got 20 points and four steals from Sandi Purcell, and the Owls buried 13 3-pointers as they held off the MCLA Trailblazers, 59-52, in non-conference women's basketball action Tuesday evening.

 

Purcell scored 12 of her 20 points in the closing half. The senior connected on just six of 15 shots, but buried five 3s to lead the Owl attack. Teammate Emily McPadden notched 15 points, and Lilly Shlimon added 11 points for Keene (2-6).

 

MCLA took its only lead of the night at the 7:24 mark of the third quarter on Emily Moulton's bucket in the paint, but Keene immediately answered with a three point play from Shlimon to retake command.

 

MCLA (3-4)  cut the lead to one on Sam Gawron's triple, but Keene's Purcell drained back-to-back 3s, making it 44-37. MCLA got within three at 44-41 following a Pingelski layup, but McPadden and Purcell buried 3s sandwiched around a L'Rae Brundige bucket making it 50-43 with just 4:51 left to play. MCLA got within four points again at the 2:48 mark on Pingelski's 3, however that's as close as it got as the Owls answered with a pair of free throws from Jasmin Mitchell.

 

The Trailblazers were led by Pingelski's team best 20-point, seven-rebound effort. The junior was 7-for-13 from the floor and added 3 steals. Brundige ended with 13 points, but was just 6-18 shooting. Gawron ended with 10 points in defeat.

 

MCLA is back in action on Thursday when it hosts Simmons in the semester finale at 6 p.m.

 

Men's Basketball

TROY, N.Y. -- RPI's Tom Horvat netted a game-high 27 points while four other Engineers posted double figures as they cruised past the MCLA Trailblazers, 98-62.

 

RPI (6-1) started the game on an 8-0 spurt and eventually moved out to a 17-4 lead midway through the first half.

 

The Trailblazers (2-5) were paced by Antoine Montgomery's team-high 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Quran Davis notched a season high 12 points off the bench while Noah Yearsley added 10 points.

 

MCLA is back in action on Thursday night when it hosts Rivier at 8 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center Gym.