BOSTON, Mass. - UMass Boston used an 18-9 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to turn a five-point game into a double-digit contest and went on to defeat the Keene State College women's basketball team 63-53 in LEC action Wednesday night at the Clark Athletic Center.

Records

• Keene State:  3-15, 1-9 LEC
• UMass Boston:  15-4, 8-2 LEC

How It Happened

Lilly Shlimon continued her strong run, as she led KSC with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting (2-of-3 from distance) while adding four rebounds, two assists and two steals.  Abby Thut came off the bench and made 4-of-6 shots to score nine points, while Jenny Freedman had eight.  Tamra Gonyea tied a game high with six rebounds.  Jalani Jackson scored a team-high 14 points for the Beacons.

The first half was closely contested, as neither team ever had more than a four point lead while there were five ties and seven lead changes.  Shlimon got off to a quick start in the opening minute, as she canned a three for a 5-2 lead, but UMB scored the next six points for a three point edge of their own less than three minutes in.  Trailing 10-7, it was the visitors' turn for a 6-0 run, as two buckets from Thut surrounding another from Gonyea made it 13-10 with 1:51 left in the opening quarter.  Thut scored again as the frame wound down for a 15-13 KSC advantage after one.  UMass Boston scored six of the first seven points over the initial four minutes of the second quarter to lead 19-16, but the Owls tied the game at 21 on Shlimon's jumper and subsequently went ahead by one twice, including after Emily McPadden's three at the 3:51 mark made it 25-24.  The hosts closed the half on a 7-2 burst to lead 31-27 at halftime.

The UMass Boston surge continued in the early stages of the second half, as they scored 10 consecutive points over a 3:20 span for a 43-29 lead with 5:59 left in the third quarter.  Keene State hit back with a run of their own, as Samira Sangare scored five consecutive points and Shlimon followed with a layup to make it 43-36 with just over two minutes to go.  The Owls got even closer, making it a five point game on two different occasions, including after Freedman's layup at the 47 second mark, but the Beacons led 50-42 after three.  KSC once again got within five (50-45) after a Gonyea free throw and Thut layup with just over seven minutes to go in the final quarter.  However, UMass Boston got an offensive rebound and a three-point play from Geanna Williams on the next possession and pulled away after that, as Tahjai Mazyck made a triple and Jackson a layup for a 58-45 lead with 4:57 remaining.  Shlimon did answer with a long range make on the other end to draw the Owls within ten, but KSC could not make a dent in the deficit, as the next time they got within ten after another Shlimon bucket was with only 38 seconds left.

Inside the Paint

• Shlimon, fresh off Little East Player of the Week honors, has scored 58 points on 23-of-35 shooting in the last three games.
• McPadden's three moved her to 200 for her career, good for sixth on the all-time KSC women's basketball threes list.  Hayley Alaimo '03 is in fifth with 210.
• UMass Boston outshot Keene State 50% to 39% and made 5-of-11 from deep compared to the Owls' 3-of-16.

Up Next

• Keene State stays out on the road in conference play on Saturday, January 26 when they visit UMass Dartmouth for a 1:00 pm start.
• UMass Boston goes to Castleton University on the same day and time.