DANBURY, CONN  1/8/13 – The Keene State College women's basketball team is searching  for its first Little East Conference win of the season after  dropping a 62-43 game to Western Conn. State University at the Feldman Arena on Tuesday night.

Keene State, which falls to 5-8 (0-4 LEC), was held to just 14 second half points.   Western Conn. (8-5, 2-2 LEC) snapped a two game losing skid with the victory.

Senior Siobhan Carnell (Quincy, Mass.) was the only Owl player to score in double-figures, finishing with13 points to go along with six rebounds.  Sophomore Courtney Roberts (Sutton, Mass.) came off the bench to score nine points while tying her career high with 11 rebounds.

Keene State took a brief 16-15 lead in the first half before the Colonials took control of the game.  Senior Carly Murphy (Wolcott, Conn.,) scored five straight points, putting WCSU up 27-18 at the 6:53 mark.. Senior Nicole Eanniello (Danbury, Conn.) stole an inbounds pass and hit a lay-up to make it 31-19 with 4:45 to go. 

Carnell hit a shot at the buzzer to cut the Colonials lead to 38-29 at halftime. Western Conn.  turned several of KSC's 14 first half turnovers into points.  The Colonials took the lead despite struggling from behind the arc (5-17, 29%) and from the line at the line (7-14, 50%).

The Colonials put the game away in the second half behind the shooting of sophomore guard Caroline Brasa.  Her three-pointer stretched the Colonials leads up to 17 points (52-35) with 9:35 to play.

Bras scored a game high 18 points while Murphy finished with 15 points for WCSU.

The Colonials had a slight 39-36 advantage on the boards.

Keene State struggled in the shooting department, hitting just 15-34 (24%) from the field, and 3-16 (19%) from behind the arc. They were also 14-19 (74%) from the line.

Western Conn. shot 20-46 (44%) from the field, 7-23 (30%) from three-point land and was 15-25 (60%) from the line.

Keene State is at Rhode Island College on Saturday.