KEENE, N.H. – Jackie Alibrandi returned and scored 16 points while making 4-of-7 from three-point range, but the Keene State College women's basketball team's second half rally came up just short as Wesleyan University escaped with a 58-56 victory in non-conference action at Spaulding Gymnasium Tuesday night.

Records

• Keene State:  3-4
• Wesleyan (Conn.):  4-3

How It Happened
Wesleyan used a 13-2 first quarter push to flip a one-point deficit into a 20-10 lead and still led 37-24 at halftime, but had to survive a big Owl push that saw them control most of the second half and eventually chip the deficit down to two with the ball in the closing seconds.  The Cardinals got a triple from Marina Petruzzi with 5:07 left in the third to go in front by a game-high 47-33 margin, but KSC held them to just 11 points over the final 15 minutes, including a 2-for-11 clip from the floor in the fourth quarter.  The Owls got within eight heading into the fourth and four less than two minutes into the final period, but did not quite have enough.  Wesleyan's only two field goals of the quarter came at key times, as Maddie Clark hit a three the possession after KSC drew within 51-47 and Caleigh Ryan scored inside with 2:04 left after the Owls made it a five-point game.  Still, Keene State's defense, which forced 16 turnovers in the game (11 in the second half and four in the fourth quarter alone) and held Wesleyan to 30.5 percent shooting (25 percent over the final three quarters), gave them a chance.  The Owls forced turnovers on consecutive possessions in the final 1:40, helping them get to within 58-56 following two free throws by Hailey Derosia and a big, deep triple from Alibrandi with 42 seconds left after Kenzie Durnford's offensive rebound.  The Cardinals called a timeout with 41.4 to go and an 11-second differential between the game and shot clock, but their trip ended in less than 10 seconds when Riley Burgess altered Clark's pass and Jenny Freedman picked it up.  Keene State wound up getting a pair of chances to tie in the final 10 seconds, but Freedman's layup was off the mark and Derosia's mid-range jumper off another offensive board rolled out.  Wesleyan cleared the glass with 4.9 left and, after using a foul to give – only their fourth of the quarter – KSC was unable to foul again following a timeout to extend the game as the Cardinals inbounded in front of the Owl bench with 2.9 seconds to go and dribbled out the time.

Wesleyan's first quarter outburst where they shot 47 percent, made 2-of-3 from three and all four free throws wound up being a key factor in the outcome of the contest.  Keene State jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in less than two minutes, but then made just three of their next 14 shots in the quarter and 1-of-10 from long range overall in the opening 10 minutes as they were outscored 20-5 in a 5:34 span.  The Owls whittled a 23-12 deficit to just 26-24 on an Alibrandi triple at the 4:07 mark of the second quarter, but then slid back into a 13-point gap after the Cardinals closed the half on an 11-0 surge in the final 3:44.  The visitors won the period by five despite making just 4-of-15 (27 percent) from the floor, and then made just seven field goals in the second half, but it was just barely enough.

Alibrandi made 6-of-10 shots from the floor in her team-high effort.  Derosia added 11 points (5-6 FT), seven rebounds, and three assists while Durnford had eight points (3-6 FG, 2-4 3-PT) and eight rebounds, but KSC made just 8-of-15 (53 percent) from the charity stripe.  The Owls have been ahead or within three in the fourth quarter of all four of their losses this season.

Ryan led Wesleyan with 18 points (5-13 FG, 2-3 3-PT, 6-6 FT) and 16 rebounds.  Clark added 14 and Petruzzi 10, but the pair was held to combined 8-for-29 shooting.

Inside the Paint

• Alibrandi is off to an impressive start to her sophomore campaign, shooting 45 percent overall and 44 percent (14-for-33) from three-point range.  She had a plus-14 rating tonight and has made 12-of-20 shots (7-for-13) from three in her last two games (Middlebury, Wesleyan).
• Durnford has scored 34 points on 45 percent shooting (6-15 3-PT) in her last four games, all starts.
• The Cardinals made 14-of-16 free throws and outscored KSC by six from the line to negate being outshot 34.4 percent to 30.5 percent from the floor.
• Tonight's contest was the first ever between the two programs and is the second first-time opponent for the Owls this season (Babson).

Up Next

• Keene State opens Little East Conference play at home against the University of Southern Maine (1-6) on Saturday, December 4.  Tip-off is at 1:00 p.m. and it is your last chance to catch the Owls at home until January 5.  USM has lost six straight since a season-opening win over the University of New England and is 0-4 on the road.  The Huskies were picked fourth and the Owls fifth in the LEC preseason coaches' poll.
• Wesleyan hosts a non-conference "Little Three" game against eighth-ranked Amherst College (6-0) on Friday (December 3) at 7:00 p.m.  They then go to No. 24 New York University on Sunday.