NEW LONDON, N.H. – Following her 18.8 points per game in her sophomore season, Brynn Rautiola continued to torch opposing defenses as she scored 30 points in just 25 minutes for the Keene State College women's basketball team on Friday night in part of the Owls' 89-65 win over Colby-Sawyer College to open the 2025-2026 season.

Records

• Keene State: 1-0
• Colby-Sawyer: 0-1

How it Happened


The Owls opened the first quarter of the season on fire as they outscored the Chargers 29-8 over the opening 10 minutes of the contest. The Owls scored the first seven points of the game from a jumper from Rautiola, while Avery Stewart assisted Sydney Cassidy on her first two baskets of her collegiate career for five points less than three minutes into the contest. Over the next two minutes the Chargers tied the game back up at seven apiece thanks to five from Lauren Macdonald. KSC responded right back by scoring on their next five offensive possessions with another basket from Cassidy, a pair of free throws from Rautiola, and a three from each Kiley Bundy, Valerie Luizzi, and Rautiola, as the Owls went ahead by 13. CSC hit a free throw to cut the lead to 12 but the rest of the quarter the Owls scored on three more possessions in a row that saw Bella Schultz-Mitchell, Nicole Norton, and Savanna Scali each score their first collegiate baskets, all of which were three pointers for a 29-8 lead after the first half.
 
Schultz-Mitchell continued to tally her first points in the second quarter as she opened the second by scoring five points over the opening minute. Both teams traded baskets over the next five minutes as Stewart converted on both her free throw attempts and Rautiola made another layup and three for the Owls to bring the lead to 26 with 4:03 left in the half. CSC cut the lead to 20 over the next minute and a half but the Owls increased it back to 29 heading into halftime as Luizzi, Norton, and Scali tallied another pair apiece and Norton assisted Rautiola with four seconds remaining on a three to put KSC up 50-21 heading into the second half.
 
The third quarter was the most balanced scoring for a quarter on the day as KSC had the 18-16 edge in the third. CSC went on a 6-2 run to open the third over 2:30, but Rautiola responded with seven points of her own on three straight offensive possessions for the Owls. Both teams traded baskets over the rest of the quarter with Rautiola and Ruby Dasaro making field goals for the Owls, while Rautiola added another three and Bundy made another layup to make the score 68-37 heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
 
KSC scored on three of their first five possessions of the final quarter as Cassidy grabbed an offensive board and put it back up and in for the and-one, followed by a layup from Dasaro and a three from Rautiola for her sixth of the day to increase the lead to the highest point on the day to put KSC ahead by 37. The rest of the way KSC was outscored 26-13, but it was still not enough for CSC to mount the comeback. The rest of the way three other Owls tallied their first points of the season coming from Angel Pillsbury, Anna Brown, and Lilly Krysinski as the Owls cruised to the 89-65 victory to open the season with a win for the first time since the 2023-2024 season.
 
Inside the Paint

• With the win, KSC improves to 5-2 in the all-time series between the two teams, having won the four most recent contests.
• Rautiola moves to 991 career points with her 30-point performance, just nine away from becoming the 20th member of the 1,000 point club on the women's side.
• Every member of the Owls roster appeared in the contest, with Cassidy (12 points) and Schultz-Mitchell (10 points) leading the newcomer scorers.
• Stewart grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds on the day to go with a tie for the game-high of three assists, while Rautiola was close behind with seven boards on the day.
• KSC shot 34-78 from the field and 13-37 from three compared to 21-58 and 4-21 from three by the Chargers in the contest.

 
Up Next


Keene State returns home for their next contest as the Owls take on New England College on Veterans Day on Tuesday, November 11, at 2:00 PM.
Colby-Sawyer has two days before their next game as the Chargers will next take on Lesley University on Sunday, November 9, at 1:00 PM.