Salem, Mass. – Ashley Wright (Merrimack, N.H.) scored a game-high 22 points, Ashley Vitale (Wilmington, Mass.) chipped in a double-double, and the Endicott women's basketball ended a three game losing skid with a convincing 59-34 victory over Salem State Thursday night at James Twohig Gymnasium.

The Gulls improve to 6-3 on the season and prepare for their The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) opener on Saturday at 1:00 pm against Eastern Nazarene inside MacDonald Gymnasium.   

Vitale's jumper in the opening minutes of the first half ignited a 16-0 run over a nine minute stretch to provide an early cushion for the visitors.  Wright and Ashley Walenta (Plainfield, Conn.) each drilled three-pointers during the run, as the Lady Vikings (3-6) missed 15 straight shots and committed six turnovers. 

Endicott held Salem State to just 25% shooting from the floor in the first half to build a 29-18 lead.  The Gulls' perimeter defense was particularly impressive, holding the Lady Vikings to just 1-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc in the opening period.  Salem State finished 1-of-16 from beyond the arc.

The Gulls quickly put the game out of reach after opening the second half with an 11-4 run.  Salem State's cold shooting out of the break, coupled with Wright's stellar second-half, helped Endicott build a 31 point lead in the second half.  Wright was six for eight after the intermission and buried all three of her three-point attempts. 

Vitale was the only other player to reach double-figures for the Gulls.  The senior forward scored 11 points and added a game-high 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the year.  Senior forward Brittany Kelleher (Wakefield, Mass.) pulled down eight boards and added a career-high five assists for Endicott.

Walenta finished a perfect three for three from the field en route to eight points off the bench while junior guard Nicole Heffernan (Londonderry, N.H.) dished out a career-high seven assists in the win.