KEENE, N.H. – Freshman Ruby Dasaro led the Keene State College women's basketball team with a career-high of 23 points in the Owls' first game back from their break as they narrowly defeated the Colby-Sawyer College Chargers, 62-56. 

Records

• Keene State: 5-5 (1-0 LEC)
• Colby-Sawyer: 6-4 (0-0 GNAC)

Highlights
Postgame Interview (Coach Boucher)
Postgame Interview (Ruby Dasaro)

How it Happened
Dasaro and Valerie Luizzi did all the scoring for KSC in the opening 10 minutes of play as the two combined for 16 points, to just 13 from the Chargers. Dasaro opened the scoring just three seconds into the contest, as Samantha Lee won the tip right to her, as Dasaro grabbed the loose ball and shot it right into the basket to put the Owls up a pair early on. After the Chargers tied it up a minute later, 56 seconds after that, Dasaro put the Owls up by three by converting an and-one. Marissa Holt tied the game for CSC with a three, and Luizzi answered right back for KSC to put the Owls back up with 6:50 remaining in the first. Over the next 3:55, Luizzi added another five points from a three-pointer and a layup, compared to just four points from CSC as a team. Both teams traded a pair of baskets the remainder of the first, with Dasaro scoring both for the Owls to bring her quarter total to nine points.
 
The Chargers came back in the second quarter and outscored KSC, 20-15, to take a lead into the half after a back-and-forth quarter. CSC scored 10 in the opening 3:45 of the quarter, to just three from KSC as Courtney Brewster scored four for the Chargers, while Holt scored the other six. CSC jumped to their largest lead with 4:49 left in the opening half, as they led by eight, 27-19. KSC responded right back with 10 straight points over the next 4:05, with Brynn Rautiola scoring her first seven points of the game, to go with another Dasaro basket and a made free throw from Lilly Krysinski. The Chargers ended the half with scoring six points across their final two possessions, with Holt scoring a three and Brewster converting an and-one with three seconds left. KSC tacked on one more basket from Rautiola to cut the Chargers' lead to two heading into the second half.
 
Both teams traded a few baskets over the opening 4:09 of the third quarter, as Dasaro went 3-for-3 from the field for KSC for six points to tie the game up at 37 apiece. Over the next 4:08 of play, KSC outscored the Chargers, 8-1 to jump back out to a seven-point lead. Luizzi and Rautiola each tallied three of the eight, while a layup from Dasaro rounded it out. Hayden Wilkins and Holt combined for five points for CSC the rest of the quarter to cut KSC's lead to 45-43 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
 
Kiley Bundy opened the scoring for the Owls in the fourth with a three-point play, but CSC answered right back with a pair of baskets to tie the game up at 48 apiece with nine minutes left to play. Both teams' leading scorers, Dasaro and Brewster, traded baskets over the next 2:06 of play as the game was tied once again. With 5:50 remaining to play, Brewster made a free throw for CSC to give the Chargers a one-point lead, but it would be their last lead of the game, as the Owls went on another run and scored 12 consecutive points and locked down CSC. Luizzi and Rautiola each recorded four of the 12, while Lee and Dasaro each scored two more to round out the scoring to give KSC a 62-51 lead with 21 seconds remaining to play. The Chargers did not give up down the stretch, as they scored five more points, but their comeback was too late as Avery Stewart blocked Holt's attempt with little time remaining to cement the 62-56 win for the Owls.
 
Inside the Paint

• With the win, KSC leads the all-time series between the two schools, 4-2, having won three in a row.
• Dasaro tallied a career-high and game-high of 23 points, as she went 11-for-20 from the field and nearly tallied a double-double with eight rebounds, five offensive, and three defensive.
• Luizzi almost recorded a double-double, as she finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
• KSC capitalized on points in the paint compared to CSC, as they scored 38 to the Chargers' 28, as the Owls we unable to knock down threes in their worse shooting performance beyond the arc on the season, as they shot 3-for-26 (.115%).

 
Up Next

Keene State returns to Little East Conference play in their next contest as they hit the road and travel to the University of Southern Maine on Saturday, January 4, at 1:00 PM.
Colby-Sawyer plays Dartmouth College for their next game on Wednesday, January 1, at 1:00 PM.