NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Four points is all that the Keene State College women's basketball team could muster together in the opening half of the game as they went 1-for-26 (3.8%) from the field against Rhode Island College. The Owls picked up the scoring in the second half by recording 23 points, but it was not enough as they fell 42-27 to the Anchorwomen.

Records

• Keene State: 12-13 (8-8 LEC)
• Rhode Island College: 19-6 (14-2 LEC)

How it Happened


Meagan Schuermann opened the scoring for RIC with a three on their second possession of the game and KSC responded right back with a basket from Avery Stewart after she grabbed an offensive board. Stewart's basket wound up being the only basket for KSC in the opening quarter, as KSC went 0-for-10 the rest of the 8:35 of the opening quarter, to go with five turnovers from the Owls. The rest of the opening quarter for RIC, they shot 6-for-17 (35.3%), scoring 14 more points to take a 17-2 lead into the second quarter.
 
The second quarter was not much better for the Owls, as they once again only logged two points, compared to nine from the Anchorwomen. RIC scored seven straight points to open the second quarter, to make it 21 straight points over 11 minutes of play as the clock reached 5:35 left in the half. Two minutes later, KSC scored their third and fourth points of the half with Brynn Rautiola hitting a pair of free throws for KSC. Madison Medbury made a pair of free throws in the last minute for RIC as they increased their lead to 26-4 heading into the second half.
 
The Owls had almost as many points in the third quarter (13), as they did in the rest of the other three quarters combined (14), as they tried to start to make a comeback. Medbury opened the scoring with a three 14 second into the quarter for RIC to increase their lead to 25, but KSC answered with a run of points of their own the rest of the quarter. KSC scored all their 13 points in a quarter in a row, spanning 8:07, as Rudy Dasaro and Samantha Lee each tallied a pair and Rautiola went 3-for-4 (75%) from three to pull within 12. RIC added one more basket on their final possession of the quarter to make the score 31-17 in the Anchorwomen's favor.
 
Both teams traded a pair of points on with Medbury making two free throws and Lee making a jumper with 7:45 remaining to open the scoring in the final quarter. After Rautiola cut the lead back to 12 with a pair of free throws, Schuermann hit a three to increase it back to 15 with 6:27 left on the clock. KSC responded with six points over the next two minutes as Lee hit a three and Dasaro went 3-for-4 at the line to make it a nine-point game. Unfortunately for the Owls, Dasaro's free throws were the last points they scored as they went 0-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-5 from three with a pair of turnovers the rest of the way. Angelina Nardolillo scored the final six points of the day for RIC as they came away with a 42-27 victory over KSC.
 
Inside the Paint

• With the loss, KSC falls to 28-32 in the all-time series between the two schools, having lost the 15 most recent matchups.
• The 27 points for KSC in the matchup are the most by either team in their 62 meetings dating back to December 6, 1997, along with the 69 combined points being the least combined total in the 62 meetings.
• Rautiola scored 13 of the team's 27 points (48.1%), as she shot (23.1%) from the field, including 3-for-12 (25%) from three and 4-for-5 (80%) from the line.
• Stewart had a career-high 12 rebounds on the day, which was a game-high and the only one to reach double-figures.
• KSC had their worst shooting performance from the field on the day, as they went 7-for-53 (13.2%), and second-worst day from three as they shot 4-for-30 (13.3%).

 
Up Next


Keene State finishes off the 2024-2025 Little East Conference regular season 8-8 as the No. 5 seed. KSC will travel to take on No.4 Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, February 25, at 6:00 PM, for the LEC First Round matchup. The Owls will look to avenge their loss to the Warriors last season, when ECSU eliminated them in the same round, 43-38.
Rhode Island College rounds out the 2024-2025 LEC regular season at 14-2 and clinched a share of the regular season title with the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Due to the head-to-head tiebreaker, RIC is the No. 2 seed, having lost to UMD twice this season, but they will still receive a first-round bye and will host the winner of No. 3 University of Southern Maine vs No. 6 University of Massachusetts-Boston on Thursday, February 27, at 7:00 PM.