WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Valerie Luizzi tallied a game-high 22 points in the Keene State College women's basketball matchup against Williams College, but it was not enough, as the Owls fell to the Ephs, 80-22, in the first round of the Morin Memorial Tournament.

Records

• Keene State: 0-2
• Williams: 1-0

How it Happened


Luizzi got the Owls on the board first after KSC won the tipoff, as she drained a three-pointer just 13 seconds into the game. Luizzi added another point with a free throw two minutes later, but Williams jumped out ahead shortly after as Mari Smith and Arianna Gerig each scored four apiece to give Williams an 8-4 lead with 6:14 remaining in the first. Brynn Rautiola netted a layup soon after to pull KSC within a pair, but Gerig answered right back to increase the Ephs' lead back to four. The Owls continued to answer back as Kiley Bundy hit a three at the 4:32 mark to pull KSC within one after Rautiola grabbed an offensive board. Over the next four minutes Williams score nine straight points, and KSC did not score until Rautiola assisted Luizzi on a three-pointer with 24 second left in the quarter for the final basket of the first as the Ephs took a 19-12 lead into the second quarter. 
 
Gerig opened the scoring in the second quarter with a layup to increase the Ephs' lead to nine, but Rautiola made a pair of field goals of her own, to decrease the lead back to five, 1:46 into the quarter. Williams scored eight straight points over the next two minutes, with Gerig converting on an and-one, Micah Walton hitting a three, and Tatum Leuenberger making a layup for the Ephs to increase the lead to 13. Over the next two minutes, KSC outscored Williams, 7-2, with Luizzi hitting another three, and Ruby Dasaro and Samantha Lee both making layups. From a minute after the 3:37 mark, both teams combined to score on four consecutive possessions. Rautiola first hit a layup for the Owls and 18 seconds later Izzy Sullivan hit a three for the Ephs. Luizzi responded with a three for the Owls 20 seconds later and shortly after Skylar Chui made a layup the other way for Williams. The rest of the half Williams outscored KSC, 7-4, with Luizzi hitting a three and Rautiola making a free throw for the Owls, giving the Ephs a 43-32 lead into the half.
 
Both teams traded points back-and-forth over the opening 5:13 of play in the third quarter. Rautiola opened the scoring for the Owls with a layup, while Gerig hit a jump shot 21 seconds later. 2:20 later Luizzi scored next, by converting on a field goal and Smith answered right back for the Ephs with a jump shot of her own. Smith logged another jumper shortly after, and KSC responded with a free throw made from Avery Stewart and a three from Rautiola at the 4:06 mark of the quarter. Rautiola's three was the last basket of the quarter for the Owls as Williams scored 12 points straight to end the third and take a 61-40 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
 
KSC scored on three of their first possessions of the fourth quarter, totaling four points from Luizzi and a three from Dasaro. While Williams scored on their first four possessions of the fourth with Gerig leading the way with four of the nine points for the Ephs over the first 2:11 of the final quarter. Over the next 3:14, Williams outscored KSC, 6-2, with Dasaro and Lilly Krysinski making a free throw for the Owls and Hanorah Murphy tallying all six points for the Ephs. The remainder of the contest, KSC outscored Williams 6-4, with Bundy hitting a three, Angel Pillsbury making a free throw, and Dasaro making both her free throws, to bring the final to 80-55 after neither team scored in the final 2:22 of play.
 
Inside the Paint

• With the loss, KSC trails in the all-time series between the two teams, 3-12 to the Ephs.
• Luizzi led KSC for the seconds consecutive game in points, with a game-high of 22 points, coming on 7-16 from the field, including 5-11 from three.
• Kenzie Durnford and Lee led the Owls in rebounds with four apiece on the game.
• KSC shot 18-57 from the field and 9-31 from three, compared to Williams going 29-53 from the field and 7-13 from three.

 
Up Next


Keene State plays next in the consolation game of the Morin Memorial Tournament against Framingham State on Sunday, November 17, at 1:00 PM.
Williams will play in the championship game of the Morin Memorial Tournament on Sunday, November 17, at 3:00 PM against TCNJ for their next contest.