KEENE, N.H. 1/25/11 – Junior Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) scored a career high 30 points, including six three-pointers, to lead the Keene State College women's basketball team to a 85-55 Little East Conference victory over rival Plymouth State University at Spaulding Gym on Tuesday night.

Winners of three in a row and five of their last six, the Owls get back to the .500 mark (9-9) and improve to 3-5 in the LEC.  Plymouth State (7-10, 1-7 LEC) dropped its ninth straight game.

"We came out strong.  We were able to execute.  Samantha (Hemingway) and Courtney (Cirillo) were setting amazing screens for me," said  Laudano, who shot 12-19 (63%) from the field and 6-11 (54%) from three-point land. "We came out with a lot of energy and fire and that was awesome for us."

As far as her hot shooting was concerned, Laudano said "once I made the first one it felt good and I kept on shooting."

The Owls jumped ahead 15-4 and kept building on its lead in the first half. Laudano heated up from the outside, hitting three-pointers in succession from both corners and the top of the key to put KSC up 27-14 with 8:12 to go in the half. 

Junior Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn.) took over form there hitting back-to-back baskets to make it 42-23 with 2:28 to go. Laudano, who knocked down four three-pointers, had 16 first half points. Cirillo scored all her 14 points for the Owls, who led 48-25 at the break.  KSC shot 56% (19-34) from the field in the half.  

Keene State continued its offensive in the second half, Cirillo found Laudano for a break-away lay-up to make it 60-30 at the 13:55 mark.  

Junior Alicia Doucet (Manchester, N.H.) and senior Amanda Kania (Manchester, N.H.) each had 14 points to lead the Panthers.  Kania, who hit all eight of her free throws, had a team-high seven rebounds.

KSC shot 50% from the field (33-65) and connected on nine of its 21 shots from behind the arc (43%).  The Owls also had a wide 43-31 advantage on the boards.

Both teams return to the court on Thursday, Keene State is at Middlebury College (6 p.m.) and the Panthers travel to Johnson State (5:30 p.m.)