KEENE, N.H. – On the day where the Keene State College women's basketball team was honoring their three seniors, the Owls were able to come back in the second half and hold off the University of Massachusetts-Boston Beacons, fighting through their full-court pressure to come away with a 74-59 win.

Records

• Keene State: 10-11 (6-6 LEC)
• UMass-Boston: 8-14 (5-8 LEC)

Postgame Interview (Coach Boucher)
Postgame Interview (Aryanna Murray)

How It Happened
Following the senior day ceremony honoring the Owls' three seniors, Kenzie Durnford, Aryanna Murray, and Samantha Lee, KSC jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first 2:29 of play. Murray scored the first five points for the Owls and then Avery Stewart converted an and-one to put KSC ahead early on. UMB responded by scoring 12 straight, as the Owls were unable to get on the board again until Brynn Rautiola made a pair of free throws with just 48 seconds left in the quarter. Both teams traded baskets in the closing seconds as UMB took a 14-12 lead into the second.
 
The Owls opened the second by scoring nine straight over the opening 2:55 as four different Owls scored. Lee opened the scoring in the second with a free throw, then Kiley Bundy hit a three, followed by a layup from Lilly Krysinski and three from Rautiola to round out the scoring. Just as the Beacons did in the first, they responded right back to the Owls' run, as they scored 10 in a row to take a 24-21 lead over the next two minutes. KSC retook the lead shortly after, as Krysinski made a jumper and Rautiola made a three for a 26-24 lead with 2:43 left in the half. In the closing minute of the quarter, UMB scored on their final two possessions to take a 29-26 lead heading into the half.
 
After both teams traded a basket with their first possession of the second half, KSC tied the game up at 31 apiece with another three from Murray, 2:59 into the third. Over the next few minutes, the teams traded four points, before Rautiola hit a three, followed by a pair of free throws from Lee, to give KSC a 40-35 lead with 3:36 remaining in the third. Tajeiha Madison made a layup for the Beacons to cut the lead to three a minute later, but on the ensuing possession for the Owls, Rautiola hit a three to increase the lead back to six. The rest of the quarter, there was only one basket, as Kiley Bundy hit a three with 27 seconds remaining to cap the 20-8 third quarter for the Owls and giving them a 46-37 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
 
UMB opened the scoring in the fourth with four points, compared to just a three from Ruby Dasaro for the Owls, in the opening 1:18 of the quarter. Over the next minute and a half, the Beacons cut the Owls' lead to five, but following a timeout by the Owls, Rautiola and Bundy hit threes on back-to-back possessions to increase the lead back to 11. As the quarter reached the halfway point, UMB cut the lead to seven, before the teams piled on the points for the next 1:40. The Beacons outscored the Owls 6-5 over the span, as Rautiola converted an and-one for the Owls and Valerie Luizzi tacked on a pair of free throws for KSC. The Owls went on a nine-point scoring run over the next 1:46, as the Beacons kept fouling KSC. Of the nine points, Bundy went three-for-three after being fouled on a three-point attempt, followed by Krysinski and Luizzi hitting both their two attempts, and Luizzi adding a layup to round out the four-straight possessions with points for the Owls. UMB tried to mount a comeback with five points over the next 44 seconds, but Murray hit a pair of free throws in the final minute, followed by a three from Luizzi to put the nail in the coffin and give KSC a 74-59 win.
 
Congratulations to the KSC women's basketball class of 2025! We wish you the best of luck in the future!
 
Inside the Paint

• With the win, KSC leads the all-time series between the two schools, 41-17, having won four of the five most recent games.
• KSC was nearly perfect at the line on the day, going 22-for-23 (95.7%).
• Rautiola once again logged a game-high of 17, while Luizzi recorded 16 as the duo played all 40 minutes in the game.
• Bundy and Murray also reached double digits, scoring 12 and 10, respectively.

 
Up Next


Keene State stays at home for their next game, as they will host Eastern Connecticut State University for their next context on Wednesday, February 12, at 5:30 PM for an important LEC matchup for the Owls.
UMass-Boston also next plays on Wednesday, February 12, at 5:30 PM, as the Beacons will travel to play the Corsairs of the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.