WILLIMANTIC CONN. 2/13/13 – Eastern Conn. State University overcame a nine point halftime deficit to defeat Keene State College 67-55 in a Little East Conference women's basketball game played at Francis E. Geissler Gym in Willimantic, Conn. on Wednesday night.

The loss drops the Owls overall record to 9-15 and 3-10 in the LEC. The Warriors, who are tied for third place in the LEC standings, improve to 10-14 (8-5 LEC).  ESCU swept the series against KSC, winning 56-38 back on Jan. 22 at Spaulding Gym

Senior Siobhan Carnell (Quincy, Mass.) scored 12 of her team high 17 points in the second half to top the Owls in scoring.  Freshman Kelsey Cognetta (Stamford, Conn.), who hit all six of her shots from the field, including a couple of three-pointers, finished with a season high 16 points.

Freshman Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Mass.) finished with 17 points and a game high 12 rebounds and sophomore Kristina Forsman (Newington, Conn.) had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead the Warriors.

Cognetta, who had 13 first-half points, scored 10 of the Owls' first 12 points in the game. 

Junior Carly Kiernan (Topsfield, Mass.) came off the bench and scored two quick hoops give KSC a 25-17 lead with 5:03 to play in the half.  Freshman Brianna Curran (Fairfield, Conn.) gave KSC its biggest lead 31-19 after she drained a long three-pointer with 3:08 to go.

Keene State went to the locker room with a 31-22 lead.

Eastern Conn. went on a 13-4 run out of the break to wipe away the Owls, lead, tying the game 35-all on a conventional three-point play by Ritrosky. . Eastern took the lead for good when Forsman connected for an old-fashion three-point play, making it a 38-37 lead at the 11:09 mark.

Keene State stayed close for awhile until the Warriors pulled away in the finals minutes.  Off the break, sophomore Taylor McBride (Willimantic, Conn.) found Ritrosky for a lay-up that put Eastern Conn. up 58-49 with 1"34 to play.

The Warriors had a wide 50-31 rebound advantage. They picked up many of their points at charity stripe (26-38) against the Owls, who ran into early foul trouble.

Keene State returns home for its final regular season game of the season against Rhode Island College on Saturday.