KEENE, N.H.  1/31/09 - The Keene State women's basketball team placed three players in double figures and had a strong defensive performance in a 79-48 Little East Conference victory over Rhode Island College at Spaulding Gym on Saturday afternoon. 

Winners of five out of its last six games, Keene State (16-4, 6-3 LEC) remains tied for third in the conference with Southern Maine, which defeated UMass-Dartmouth 69-41.  Fifth in the LEC standings, RIC falls to 8-11 (4-5 LEC).

Senior point guard Michele Boudreau (Readsboro, Vt.) led the Owls with 14 points, four assists, and seven steals. She also knocked own four of her five three-point shots.

Juniors Nicole Simmer (Oxford, Mass.) and freshman forward Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn.) chipped in with 12 points each.   It was a season high for Cirillo.  Junior forward Jen Cleaveland (Newington, Conn.) had a team high seven rebounds.

The Owls raced out to a 31-19 halftime lead.  Holding RIC to just one field goal in the first 7:06 of the half, KSC went up 16-2 following a lay-up and free throw by Boudreau.

Consecutive conventional three-point plays by Cirillo put the Owls up 22-10 at the 6:48 mark.

The Anchorwomen got KSC's lead down to five points (24-19) on a lay-up by junior forward Cassi Malec (Glocester, R.I.) with 3:29 to go in the half. 

A three-pointer by junior guard Kristin Degou (Newburyport, Mass.) in the closing seconds gave KSC's in 10 point halftime lead.

KSC scored the first 13 points of the second half to go up 44-21 on a top of the key three-pointer by Boudreau and a lay-up by junior guard Alyssa Sapp (Hartford, Vt.).

Later in the half, a block by Degou resulted in a put back lay-up at the other end of the court by Simmler that gave the owls a 57-33 lead with 10:22 to play.

Sapp said the key to the win was the Owl's strong defensive play. "We got out on their shooters and stopped them from doing what they wanted to do," she said.  "Once our defense gets going we find our offensive rhythm."

RIC connected on just three of its 20 three-point attempts.

Freshman guard Stephanie Coro (North Providence, R.I.) had 14 points and junior guard Alice Mullen (Saunderstown, R.I.) had seven rebounds for the Anchorwomen.

Keene State has the week and will return to action next Saturday at UMass-Dartmouth.  R.I. College hosts Fitchburg State on Thursday.