GORHAM, Maine – Entering the game on their second four-game winning streak of the season, the Keene State College women's basketball team traveled to take on the University of Southern Maine, who was recently ranked No. 25 in the WBCA poll, having won 15 games in a row, but the Huskies proved their ranking as they defeated KSC 67-48.

Records

• Keene State: 14-6 (8-3 LEC)
• Southern Maine: 19-1 (11-0 LEC)

How it Happened


KSC jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the opening 1:16 of action as Valerie Luizzi assisted Sydney Cassidy for the first basket for the Owls and Luizzi's steal on the ensuing USM possession led to Brynn Rautiola hitting a jump shot to put the Owls up four. It wasn't long before the Huskies responded right back with seven points of their own over their next three possessions as they took a 7-4 lead with 6:49 remaining in the first. As the opening quarter of action reached the halfway point, Luizzi assisted Rautiola on a three to tie the game up at seven apiece, but on the following possession for USM, Avah Ingalls hit a three to put the Huskies back up by three. Over the next two and half minutes, USM increased their lead to seven, but the rest of the quarter Rautiola and Ruby Dasaro both made field goals for KSC as the Owls cut the Huskies lead to 14-11 heading into the second quarter.
 
The second quarter was all the Huskies as they outscored KSC 19-5 over the 10 minutes of action. After both teams traded a pair of points over the opening two minutes of the quarter, Jaycie Christopher increased the Huskies' lead to nine by hitting threes on back-to-back possessions shortly after. Kiley Bundy answered back for KSC with a three 52 seconds later, but unfortunately, that was the last basket for the Owls the remainder of the first half. The rest of the second quarter, KSC had five turnovers, half of their eventual 10 across the entire game, while going 0-for-6 from the field as the Huskies scored 11 points in a row to close out the first half with a 33-16 lead over the Owls.
 
Over the first five minutes of the third quarter, the Huskies picked up where they left off at the end of the second as they went on a 15-2 scoring run, scoring on eight of their 13 possessions to increase their lead all the way to 30. Just over halfway through the quarter, Dasaro and Christopher traded baskets and a few minutes later, Lucy Wiles and Cassidy traded threes as the Huskies maintained their 30-point lead with under three minutes to play in the third. KSC's defense held strong the remainder of the quarter as they came away with three steals, with Dasaro and Luizzi each recording a steal that led to their own basket, while Cassidy added another three with 33 seconds remaining to cap the 7-2 run for the Owls heading into the fourth.
 
The fourth quarter was the only quarter of the day where KSC outscored USM, 18-12, but the differential was too much for KSC as they were ultimately unable to mount the comeback. Norton and Rautiola each hit a three for the Owls over the opening three minutes of the fourth to cut the lead to 19, but USM answered right back with an 8-2 run over the next two minutes to increase their lead back to 25 with under five minutes remaining. The remainder of the final quarter, KSC went on a 10-4 run as Savannah Scali made a layup for the Owls, Kate Canavan hit a pair of threes, and Isabelle Glenn-Smith scored her first collegiate basket of her career for KSC and the Huskies held on for the win to make it 16 wins in a row.
 
Inside the Paint

• KSC falls to 14-53 in the all-time series between the two teams, as KSC has dropped the four most recent meetings.
• Rautiola led KSC on the attack on the day with 12 points, while Dasaro and Cassidy were close behind with eight points apiece.
• Bella Schultz-Mitchell led the Owls on rebounds with six over her 16 minutes of action.
• Three Owls had a pair of steals in the contest, coming from Norton, Luizzi, and Dasaro.
• Dasaro's two steals brings her season total to 63, as she is now tied for the tenth-most steals in a season in program history with Stephanie D'Annolfo from the 2015-2016 season.
• KSC scored 16 points off 19 turnovers from USM, while the Huskies scored 13 points off 10 turnovers from the Owls.
• The Owls' 10 turnovers were their third-least in a game on the season, coming off their season-low of seven turnovers in their win against the University of Vermont State Castleton on Tuesday.

 
Up Next


Keene State returns home for their next contest against Plymouth State University on Wednesday, February 4, at 5:30 PM, as the Owls look for the season sweep of the Panthers.
Southern Maine also returns to action on Wednesday, February 4, at 5:30 PM as the Huskies travel to take on Rhode Island College.