KEENE, N.H. 1/27/04  - Ranked eighth nationally, Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team improved its record to 15-2 (6-2 LEC) with a 79-43 Little East Conference victory over host Keene State on Tuesday night.

Stacey Morse (Lebanon, N.H.) with 10 points was the only double-figure scorer for the Owls who dropped their fifth straight game. Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass.) had team-high six rebounds.

The Warriors bounced back from Saturday's loss to Southern Maine with a convincing win over the Owls.  Jen Bergeron (Jericho, Vt.) had 12 points to lead a balanced ECSU offense.  Sara Paradis (Bristol, Conn.) and Allison Coleman (Jewett City, Conn.) had 11 points each, and Deanne Prior (Scituate, R.I) finished with 10 points. Coleman had a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Warriors outscored the Owls 19-3 over the final 10 minutes of the half to take a commanding 36-17 lead at the break.  KSC, which hit just 32percent from the field, and just two of its 14 three-pointers, was not able to get back into the game in the second half. Eastern Conn., which shot 57 percent (16-for-28) from the field in the second half, also had a decided 48-21 lead in rebounds.

Eastern Conn. has won the last eight meeting between the two teams.

Keene State travels to UMass-Boston for a LEC game (1 p.m.) on Saturday.  Eastern Conn. Eastern Conn. has a non-conference game at Johnson & Wales on Thursday (7 p.m.).