BY COLE McNANNA // NOV. 21, 2015 //

For the fourth straight year, the women’s basketball team started the Tip-Off Tournament with a win as they rolled over Southern Vermont College 86-62 on Saturday afternoon.

The four-team tournament hosted by Curry College also welcomes Trinity College of Connecticut and Wellesley College for the two day long tournament.

Curry came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, en route to a 40-16 lead and outshooting the Mountaineers 60.7% to 11.8%. Senior captains Shannon Griffith and Christina Deiorio were perfect from the field, with Griffith scoring 10 points on five shots and Deiorio finishing with seven points on her three shots.

Senior Co-Captain Shannon Griffith finished with 15 points in the win // Photo Courtesy of Curry College Athletic Department

On the other side of the floor, the Colonels also grabbed 19 defensive rebounds compared to Southern Vermont’s nine.

The second half was a little different, however. The Mountaineers surged back with a 28-point third quarter which outdid Curry’s 22 points, cutting the Colonel’s lead to 18. Curry’s shooting percentage dropped to 41.9% while Southern Vermont improved to 60% on the second half as a whole.

The Colonels separated themselves further in the fourth quarter however, eventually scoring 24 more points to the put the final score at 86-62.

“Our emphasis was on defense,” said assistant coach Stacey Cotter. She said the team did a good job in the first half. “We [backed] off a little in the second, but we picked it back up,” she said.

At the end of the game the Colonels pulled down 40 total rebounds and finished with ten more defensive rebounds than Southern Vermont, 29-19.

Head coach Fran Elms added that they “harp on defense and turnovers right now…making good decisions.”

Curry looks to continue to play a strong defensive game in the championship game of the Tip-Off Tournament, as they prepare to square off against Trinity College Sunday at 3 p.m.

Deiorio Returns: In her first game back after missing all of last year with a torn ACL, Deiorio finished with 14 points and a pair of rebounds and assists in her first home game since the beginning of 2014.

Seniors Steal the Show: The four senior captains, Griffith, Deiorio, Kerry White and Elizabeth Aekus accounted for 44 of the Colonels’ 86 points.

New Faces: Three freshmen saw their first home action for the Curry Colonels. Emily Irwin, Meaghan Fitzgerald and Molly Plunket logged a total of 46 minutes.