KEENE, N.H. 1/19/11 – Amanda Pierlioni (Plainville, Conn.) scored 21 points and Jessica Moriarty(East Haven, Conn.) had 12 points, including a key three-pointer down the stretch to lead Eastern Conn. State University to a 67-59 win over Keene State College in a Little East Conference women's basketball game played at Spaulding Gym on Wednesday night.  

Junior Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn.) scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds for the Owls, who drop to 6-9 (1-5 LEC).  Junior Piper Chapman (Portsmouth, R.I.) chipped in with 11 points and a game high 10 rebounds for the Warriors (11-4, 5-1 LEC).

Junior Meghan Farrell (Chester, Vt.) scored seven of the Owls first 10 points as KSC jumped out to an early 10-0 lead. Eastern answered with a 10-0 run to tie the game at 10-all on a lay-up by Chapman.

Pierlioni hit a couple of free throws in the closing second of the half to send the Warriors to the locker room with a 24-21 lead.  ESCU had it way on the glass in the half, out-rebounding the Owls by a 30-15 margin.

The Warriors opened the second half with an 11-4 run, going up 35-25 on back-to-back three-pointers by Moriarty and Pierlioni. The Owls fought back to get within one (39-38) on a put-back basket by freshman Brianna McCain (Hampton, N.H.) with 11:09 to play.

KSC stayed close down the stretch.  A three-point basket from the right corner by junior Sara Laudano got the Owls within two (56-54) with 2:37 to go.  Senior Brittany Whitely (Windsor Locks, Conn.) answered with a three-pointer at the other end of the court to make it 59-54. A jumper by Laudano cut the lead to 59-56 with 1:03 to play.      

Moriarty nailed a key three-pointer to make it 62-56 with 32 seconds to play.  After senior Brittany Whiteley (Windsor Locks, Conn.) missed the second of her free throws from the line, Chapman grabbed the rebound.  Fouled after hitting a lay-up, she made the free throw to make it 66-56 with 10 seconds to go as the Warriors held on for the win.  

Laudano, who hit four three-pointers in the second half, finished with a season high 18 points. Junior Siobhan (Quincy, Mass.) added eight rebounds.

"Eastern is second in the conference, so to be able to hang in there with them shows a lot about our heart as a team," said Laudano.  "We played really hard tonight."

Sophomore Jessica Blodgett (Niantic, Conn.) also scored in double-figures with 11 points for the Warriors, who heated up shooting 54% from the field in the second half.

Keene State is right back on the court tomorrow, traveling to Lasell College.