Box Score DANBURY, Conn.--Senior Carly Kiernan netted a career high 23 points as the Keene State College women's basketball team fell to Western Connecticut State University 61-55 on Saturday after in Little East Conference action.
The Owls, who have lost five straight, are now 11-12 overall and 3-9 in the LEC. Western Connecticut State improves to 14-9 and 7-5 in the LEC.
Kiernan (Topsfield, Mass.) shot 7-for-14 from the floor, and knocked down 9-of-12 foul shots while pulling down a team high eight rebounds. Christan Wojtas (Amherst, N.H.) was the only other KSC player in double-figures, netting 11 points.
The Colonials jumped out to an early 12-4 lead on the strength of six quick points from Chelsea Mone (Bristol, Conn.) but the Owls pulled back within three as Wojtas canned the first of three triples and Kelsey Cognetta fed Kiernan for a layup that got the Owls within 12-9. After a WCSU basket, KSC continued to pull ahead, going up 17-14 as Jovan Kingwood (Norwalk, Conn.) sank a layup at the 10:29 mark.
WCSU closed the first half on an 18-4 run, capped by a three pointer form Sciarra Brandt (Thomaston, Conn.) to go into the break up 32-21.
After the teams traded baskets to start the second half, KSC started to heat up, pulling within six on a three from Cognetta (Stamford, Conn.) with 15:08 to play. The Owls' defense, which forced 20 turnovers, kept KSC in the game as Laurie Allien's (Medford, Mass.) and Kiernan scored of WCSU turnovers to pull within 45-43.
A mini-run by WCSU gave them a 55-48 lead on a basket by Kelsey Stolle (Warren, Conn.) but four free throws by Kiernan kept KSC within three. After Stolle made a foul shot with seven seconds left, Wojtas missed a three and Brandt made two free throws for the final margin.
Mone and Stolle each had 14 points for WCSU, while Colleen Cosker (East Hartford, Conn.) chipped in 12. The Colonials shot 55.8% from the field.
Keene State will host in-state rival Plymouth State on Tuesday night at 5:30 pm. Western Connecticut State will travel to Eastern Connecticut State for a 5:30 tip, also on Tuesday.
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