WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State University snapped a two-game home losing streak by pulling away from the Keene State College women's basketball team 60-44 Saturday afternoon at Geissler Gymnasium.

Records

• Keene State:  2-13, 0-7 LEC
• Eastern Connecticut:  9-5, 5-2 LEC

How It Happened

Keene State received a team-leading 11 points, including two threes, from Emily McPadden.  Tamra Gonyea added seven points, two rebounds, and two assists, while Kenzie Bennett had a team-high six rebounds.  Mya Villard led Eastern Connecticut with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Kelsey Santagata had 10 points and seven rebounds.

A layup from Hien Thach and a three from Gonyea early on helped the Owls score five of the game's first seven points, but the Warriors answered by scoring the next six for an 8-5 lead halfway through the first quarter.  KSC nudged back out in front (12-10) after Abby Thut made a jumper and Jenny Freedman converted a traditional three-point play with just under two minutes to go, but ECSU scored the last six to lead 16-12 after one.  The Warriors opened the second quarter on an extended 9-3 run over the first 6:47 for a double-digit (25-15 lead) and led by as many as 11 in the quarter.  Keene State got within 27-20 in the final minute before the Warriors' Lizzy Cretella made a jumper for a nine point lead at the break.

Shlimon's layup opened the second half scoring as the Owls made it a 29-22 game, and continued to hang around, as a three from Bennett at the 5:02 mark made it a nine-point game after ECSU had gone up by as many as 12.  However, the home team pulled away again, using an 8-0 burst over the next three minutes to go up 44-27 in the final minutes of the third.  KSC trailed 47-32 after three.  Down 48-35 early in the final quarter, Keene State got a layup from Samira Sangare and a triple from McPadden for five quick points to make it 48-40 with 7:05 to go, but Eastern Connecticut finished the contest on a 12-4 run, including scoring seven of the final eight points, after McPadden's three-point play made it 53-43.  The Warriors scored only 13 points in the final quarter, but controlled the glass 13-5 to prevent any KSC comeback.

Inside the Paint

• McPadden now needs just six more threes to reach 200 for her career and two more to pass Kristin Degou '10 for sixth on the all-time list.
• ECSU shot 46% (23-of-50) in the contest while KSC finished at 28% (14-of-50).  The Owls made 11-of-16 (69%) at the free throw line and the Warriors 10-of-22 (46%).
• Since winning the final two meetings with Eastern Connecticut in 2017, including the LEC Tournament Championship at Geissler Gymnasium, the Owls have dropped the last three head-to-head meetings.

Up Next

• Keene State will travel to Connecticut again on Wednesday, January 16 for a matchup with Western Connecticut State University at 5:30 pm.
• Eastern Connecticut goes to UMass Dartmouth on the same day and time.