LEE, N.H. (Interstat) — Maggie Cavanaugh recorded a double-double with 10 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, and New Hampshire used a decisive first-quarter run to beat visiting New England Col. 87-41 on Monday at Lundholm Gym in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game. New Hampshire, now 1-0, won the non-divisional matchup in front of 163 fans at Lundholm Gym in Lee, N.H. New England Col. was the visiting team. The Wildcats never trailed after taking the lead in the opening quarter and led by double digits for the final three quarters.

Cavanaugh, a 5-foot-9 guard from Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., who previously played at St. Rose, finished with 10 points, six rebounds and 10 assists in 25 minutes. Anya McKenzie, a 6-foot-2 forward from Copleston High School, added 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks in 18 minutes. Maya Braxton-Young, a 5-foot-6 guard from Woodbury High School, scored 12 points with one rebound and three assists in 24 minutes. Carolina Williams, a 5-foot-8 guard, had 14 points, one rebound and four assists in 26 minutes. Ella Getz, a 6-foot-1 forward from Worcester Academy, contributed 10 points, three rebounds and one block in 18 minutes. Kassidy Thompson, a 5-foot-10 guard from Camden Catholic, had five points, four rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. Alia Cordone, a 6-foot-2 forward, scored six points with one rebound and two assists in eight minutes. Erin Edmonds, a 5-foot-10 guard from Hopewell High School, had seven points and one rebound in 23 minutes. Charlotte Jasmin, a 5-foot-9 guard from Hartford High School, added five points, one rebound and two assists in seven minutes. Scarlet LeVake, a 6-foot-2 forward from Red Bank Catholic High School, chipped in six points and two rebounds in nine minutes. New Hampshire’s balanced scoring allowed the Wildcats to pull away even as New England Col. tried several defensive looks.

The decisive stretch came in the first quarter. After New England Col. took a 7-5 lead on Zahniya Castillo’s layup with 7:24 left in the opening period, New Hampshire closed the quarter on a 23-5 run. Braxton-Young fueled the burst with a free throw, a layup, a jump shot and another layup, while Cavanaugh, McKenzie and Getz also scored inside. Williams hit a 3-pointer, Thompson added another and Edmonds capped New Hampshire’s scoring in the quarter with a 3-pointer. New England Col. got a late 3-pointer from Kaira Creary, but New Hampshire led 28-12 after one quarter and never let the visitors back within striking distance. The run changed the game’s pace and forced New England Col. to play from behind for the remainder.

New Hampshire kept pulling away in the second quarter. Cavanaugh opened the period with a layup, Thompson added a layup and McKenzie converted a turnaround jumper and a layup as the Wildcats expanded their lead. Williams hit a 3-pointer late in the half and Braxton-Young scored just before the break to help New Hampshire take a 55-23 lead into halftime. The Wildcats’ defense limited New England Col. to 11 points in the second quarter while New Hampshire scored 27 in the period.

The Wildcats maintained control after halftime. New Hampshire led 70-34 through three quarters before closing with a 17-7 fourth-quarter advantage. New Hampshire scored 87 points from 73 possessions, an offensive rating of 119.2, and finished with nine offensive rebounds, 14 assists, four blocks and four turnovers. New England Col. could not match the Wildcats’ efficiency or depth. New Hampshire’s defense limited the visitors throughout the second half, and the Wildcats protected the ball while turning their offensive rebounds and assists into steady production.

In the third quarter, Camryn Lewis scored twice for New England Col., but Cavanaugh answered with a layup and later added another layup. Braxton-Young scored on a layup and made a free throw, Williams converted a layup and two free throws, and LeVake added a layup. New England Col. scored 11 points in the second quarter and 11 in the third before adding seven in the fourth. New Hampshire took a 70-34 lead into the fourth.

New England Col. was a non-divisional opponent for New Hampshire. The visitors stayed close only briefly in the opening minutes before New Hampshire’s pressure and transition game created separation. The Wildcats’ bench also contributed, with Cordone, Jasmin and LeVake combining for 17 points in limited minutes. New Hampshire’s four turnovers helped keep New England Col. from mounting any sustained comeback. The Wildcats’ 14 assists reflected their ball movement against the visiting defense. New Hampshire also recorded four blocks, with McKenzie blocking three shots and Getz adding one. The Wildcats’ defensive effort prevented New England Col. from finding a rhythm from the perimeter or in the paint.

Cavanaugh’s 10 assists paced New Hampshire, while Williams’ 14 points led the Wildcats in scoring. Braxton-Young added 12 points and McKenzie scored 11. Getz finished with 10 points. The Wildcats’ balanced scoring helped offset any stretches of uneven shooting and kept New England Col. from focusing on one player. New Hampshire’s first-quarter run proved to be the most important part of the game, as it turned a two-point deficit into a 16-point lead after one quarter. The Wildcats maintained that cushion through halftime and expanded it after the break. New England Col. never cut the deficit below 16 points after the opening quarter.

New Hampshire’s record is now 1-0. The Wildcats will look to build on the opener after a strong all-around performance at Lundholm Gym. New England Col. was the visiting team and a non-divisional opponent. New Hampshire was the home team. The attendance was 163. New Hampshire’s team nickname is Wildcats. The game was played at Lundholm Gym in Lee, N.H.

New Hampshire is scheduled to face Canisius, Niagara, Dartmouth, Colgate, Yale, Boston University, Providence, Central Connecticut, VTSU-Johnson and New Haven in its next 10 games. No point spread, betting line, game simulator projection or over-under information was available.