KEENE, N.H. – All five starters for the Keene State College women's basketball team scored at least 12 points as the five starters combined for a total of 74 out of the Owls 76 points enroute to the wire-to-wire 76-59 win over the University of Massachusetts-Boston to move to 7-2 heading into the holiday break.

Records

• Keene State: 7-2 (2-0 LEC)
• UMass-Boston: 4-2 (0-2 LEC)

How it Happened


KSC started the contest off with the highest scoring quarter of the day as KSC scored 22 in the first 10 minutes of action. Brynn Rautiola started the scoring for the Owls on their first possession with a three, but the Beacons responded with a basket shortly after to bring the game within a point. Over the next four minutes KSC went on a 9-3 run with Valerie Luizzi hitting a three, Avery Stewart hitting both her free throw attempts, and Sydney Cassidy scoring four to put KSC ahead 12-5 at the halfway mark of the opening quarter. UMB pulled within a point with an 8-2 run over the next three minutes. The remainder of the opening quarter KSC went on an 8-0 run thanks to four points from Ruby Dasaro, to go with a basket from each Rautiola and Luizzi to take a 22-13 lead heading into the second.
 
The second quarter saw both teams score 20 apiece as the Beacons scored on back-to-back possessions early in the second to pull within five. Both teams traded baskets back and forth for seven points apiece over the next few minutes with Luizzi hitting a three, and Rautiola and Stewart both making a field goal apiece. KSC went on an 11-3 run the next three minutes as Cassidy scored on back-to-back possessions to tally four of the 11 for KSC. Stewart scored five points across back-to-back possessions soon after and Luizzi grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the following possession for the Owls to round out the scoring run and go ahead by 13 with 2:33 left in the first half. The Beacons ended the remainder of the half on a 6-2 run to cut the Owls' lead to 42-33 heading into the second half.
 
After scoring the final three points of the first half, UMB scored the first six points of the second half to cut the Owls' lead to three, 1:30 into the third quarter. Rautiola assisted Luizzi for the Owls' first basket of the third with 6:23 remaining, but the Beacons continued their momentum with a basket on the following possession to cut the lead back down to four. As the third reached the halfway point, the two teams combined to score on five of seven possessions as Cassidy scored four and Stewart tacked on another basket and UMB tacked on four points of their own as KSC increased the lead back to six with under two minutes remaining. Both teams traded four points the remainder of the third with Dasaro hitting both her free throws and Rautiola making a layup to give KSC a 55-49 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
KSC came out of the gates with the dagger early in the final quarter with 14 consecutive points to open the scoring over the first 5:15 of the fourth. Dasaro led the way with six of the 14, while Rautiola and Luizzi each hit a three and Stewart tacked on a pair of free throws as KSC went up 69-49. UMB started to try to make a comeback with a three pointer, but the Owls shut it down with one of their own as Luizzi assisted Rautiola to increase the lead back to 20 with 3:35 remaining. The closest the Beacons got the rest of the way was within 15, as they outscored the Owls 7-4 the rest of the contest, but with the Owls' lone basket coming off the bench on the day, Lilly Krysinski made a layup after grabbing an offensive board and Luizzi did the same thing on the Owls' final possession to give KSC the 76-59 win.
 
Inside the Paint

• Keene State improves to 42-17 in the all-time series between the two teams, having won five out of the six most recent matchups.
• Luizzi continued her climb to 1,000 points with a game-high 18 points to go with her five rebounds, four assists, and pair of steals. Luizzi currently sits at 974 career points, just 26 away joining her teammate Rautiola and becoming the 22nd member of the 1,000-point club.
• Rautiola and Stewart each tallied 15 points in the contest. Rautiola moved into 14th place in program history for points as she now sits at 1,153 career points. Rautiola also recorded four boards, three assists, and a pair of steals across her 37 minutes.
• Stewart's 15 points are a career-high in a regulation contest, as her career-high of 17 came earlier in the season in the Owls' triple overtime contest.
• Cassidy continued her great start to her freshman season with 14 points, eight rebounds (four offensive, four defensive) and two steals.
• Dasaro rounded out the Owls' starters with 12 points to go with her three boards, and game-highs of five assists and three steals.

 
Up Next


Keene State next plays on the road at the Florida Sunshine Shootout at Daytona Beach against the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point on Monday, December 29, at 2:00 PM.
UMass-Boston next plays in a week against the University of Maine at Fort Kent on Saturday, December 13, at 11:00 AM.