Box Score PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Keene State College women's basketball team sliced a 14-point second half deficit to one with 5:34 to go, but could not get over the hump as they dropped a tight 51-47 affair at Rhode Island College in the season opener for both teams Saturday at The Murray Center.
Records
- Keene State: 0-1, 0-1 LEC
- Rhode Island College: 1-0, 1-0 LEC
How It Happened
In a game that was close for much of the time, RIC used a 9-2 burst in the third quarter to turn a five-point game into a 37-23 lead, and that proved to be just enough to hold off Keene State down the stretch. KSC fought back to make it 43-42 with 5:34 to go, but was unable to capitalize on three chances to tie or take the lead after that.
Jackie Alibrandi paced the Owls with 11 points and six rebounds.
Rylee Burgess had a strong collegiate debut, finishing with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, 10 rebounds, and two steals.
Arianna Hebert added seven points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, but KSC shot just 32 percent from the floor in the narrow loss. Their defense kept them in the game the entire time, as Rhode Island College did not fare much better, shooting 36 percent (20-for-56) themselves. Maci Dorantes led the Anchorwomen with 15 points. Brooke Young had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Rhode Island College is coming off a 2019-2020 season that saw them finish 22-5 and 13-3 in league play before falling 49-44 to Eastern Connecticut State University in the Little East title game.
Keene State trailed 12-8 after one quarter, but then saw Rhode Island College score first six of the second to go ahead by double-digits (18-8) with 6:26 left until halftime. The Owls broke a scoring drought of over five minutes with a free throw by Burgess at the 5:50 mark and eventually got within five (20-15) on her layup just a few minutes later. The Anchorwomen led 24-17 at halftime, with 14 turnovers by the Owls a main culprit in why they found themselves behind.
The Owls flipped that around after the break, committing just five miscues (while dishing out seven assists) in the final 20 minutes, but they could not shrink the deficit right away, as Sophia Guerrier's layup a little over four minutes into the third had the hosts up 32-21. After trailing by 14, KSC finished the quarter on a 9-2 burst over the final 2:57 to make it a seven-point game (39-32). The Owls got even closer from there thanks to Alibrandi, who made a pair of threes in the final 10 minutes to make it a one-point game for the first time since the opening minutes. Two missed free throws and a turnover gave KSC a pair of chances for their first lead of the game with less than five minutes to go, but the Owls came up empty. It seemed as though RIC sewed up a win with an ensuing 7-1 run that put them ahead 50-43 with 1:55 to go, but Keene State got back-to-back baskets and had a chance to tie the game with the shot clock off trailing 50-47, but could not take advantage.
Inside the Paint
- KSC outrebounded RIC 43-38, who was far-and-away the league's leading rebounding team a year ago (+11.7 rebounding margin).
- The Owls lead the all-time series 28-22 but have dropped the last five in a row to the Anchorwomen.
- Burgess, Alibrandi and Colby Sanders all made their Owl debuts in the game.
Up Next
- Keene State's home opener is next Saturday (January 30) against UMass-Dartmouth at 12:00 p.m. You can view the game on the Owls Media Network.
- Rhode Island College travels to take on the Corsairs on Wednesday, January 27 at 6:00 p.m.
