Box Score

DANBURY, Conn. – After a back-and-forth game through the first 20 minutes of play, that saw the score tied seven times, the Keene State women's basketball team was outscored 16-0 to open the third quarter and was unable to come close to the lead again, as Little East Conference opponent, Western Connecticut State University, pulled away for a 62-42 win over the Owls Thursday afternoon at Feldman Arena.

Records

• Keene State: 6-7 (2-3 LEC)
• Western Connecticut State: 5-11 (1-6 LEC)

How it Happened

Keene State opened the game with Jackie Alibrandi scoring in the post on the opening possession for the Owls, just 25 seconds into the contest. Neither team scored until nearly three minutes later, as WCSU scored their first points of the game, taking the lead from a three-pointer from Nicole Vivian. A minute later, the Owls scored on back-to-back possessions with Brynn Rautiola making a layup, followed by Alibrandi draining a three-pointer, as KSC retook the lead. Two minutes later, the Wolves would score on two of their own back-to-back possessions, as Tyonna Morgan hit a jumper and Alyssa Virtue made a layup, evening the game up at seven apiece with 1:56 left in the first quarter. Soon after, the teams traded made baskets both ways, as Morgan hit another jump shot, followed by a layup by Valerie Luizzi for the Owls to even the game back up at nine apiece. On the ensuing WCSU possession, Morgan made a layup, putting the Wolves up a pair with under a minute left, as the score would stand 9-7 for WCSU heading into the second quarter.
 
Keene State scored first to open the second quarter, just as they did in the first, as Luizzi found Rautiola for a jumper to knot the game up at 11 apiece. Luizzi added a pair of her own points shortly after to give the Owls the lead back, although it did not last too long, as Nicole Peralta hit a three-pointer on the following Wolves possession, putting them back up 14-13. Samantha Lee scored her first point of the day on a free throw with 7:30 left in the second to tie the game once again. Malaysia Dingle hit a pair of free throws on the next possession for the Wolves, but Lee answered with a pair of her own, tying the game for the sixth time in just over 13 minutes of play so far in the contest. The seventh tie of the game came at 18 points apiece, as Alibrandi gave the Owls the lead for just 24 seconds, before Virtue tied the game up for the Wolves. Lee gave KSC the lead at the halfway point in the quarter as Rautiola found her for a layup, scoring her fifth point of the game, all coming in the previous 2:30 of play. Rautiola added her own basket shortly after, giving the Owls their biggest lead of the game up to the point, as they were up 22-18 with 3:20 left in the first half. WCSU answered the Owls four-point run with a 7-0 run to close out the first half, as Vivian capped it off with a three-pointer with four seconds left, giving the Wolves a 25-22 lead heading into halftime.
 
The third quarter was the Owls' second lowest scoring quarter of the season thus far, as they were outscored by the Wolves, 20-5. WCSU continued their 7-0 run to end the first half by scoring 16 more points, making it 23 consecutive points before the Owls were able to score their 23rd point of the contest. Over the Wolves run to start the third quarter, Vivian logged six points, making three field goals, while Peralta also scored six points, hitting a pair of three-pointers. The Owls' first basket of the second half came with 3:11 to play in the third, as Lee made a layup, bringing the score to 24-41. Luizzi hit the only other shot for the Owls in the quarter, on their next possession, as she hit a three-pointer with 2:32 left in the third. WCSU scored four more points to end the quarter, making the score 45-27 for the Wolves, heading into the fourth.
 
The Owls had their highest scoring quarter of the game in the fourth, as they opened the quarter scoring first for the third time in the contest as Lee found Rautiola for a layup. Over the next minute, WCSU put a stop to the momentum that the Owls hoped to start to build, as they scored four points in a row. Rautiola made a layup soon after, reaching double-digits for the eleventh time in thirteen games so far this season, as the Owls were hoping to prevent another long scoring run for the Wolves. Although the Wolves were able to go on another run, outscoring the Owls 7-0 over the next three minutes, until Lee made a free throw with 5:28 left to play. A minute later, Rautiola added another pair of points, bringing her total to 12 so far in the contest. After Gabrielle Franks made a layup for the Wolves, Rautiola made a layup of her own, for what would be her final basket of the game, coming with 3:16 remaining. Alibrandi and Luizzi each made a layup on the ensuing Owl possessions, making it six points in the three possessions for the Owls. In the final two minutes of the game, WCSU scored four more points, while Lee hit two more free throws, reaching double-digits for the fifth time this season, as the Owls dropped their second consecutive LEC game, after winning the previous two.
 
Inside the Paint

• The Owls had won the previous three meetings at WCSU, with the last loss coming on January 16, 2019.
• KSC's 20-point loss on the day was their second highest point differential in a loss on the season.
• Keene State shot 2-13 (15.4%) from beyond the arc, which is the lowest number of threes attempted and lowest percentage of three-pointers made so far this season. KSC shot 6-12 (50%) from the line, also their lowest mark of the campaign. 
• Rautiola and Lee both reached double-digits, for their eleventh and fifth times on the season, respectively. Luizzi and Alibrandi each logged nine points to round out the scoring for the Owls in the contest.

Up Next

Keene State will have one day of rest again before their next game, as they will travel to play No. 3 Rhode Island College on Saturday, January 13, at 1:00 PM.
Western Connecticut State's next game is also on Saturday, January 13, at 1:00 PM, as the Wolves will travel to take on the Corsairs of UMass-Dartmouth.