Keene State Women’s Basketball put up a dominant second quarter and had a standout performance from junior guard Brynn Rautiola once again to come out on top against the Worcester State Lancers, 78–70, on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the Spaulding Gymnasium. The win came despite a slow start for the Owl faithful, who trailed 24–12 after the first quarter as Worcester State shot a blistering 48 percent from the field.
Momentum completely shifted in the second quarter. Keene State lit up the scoreboard for 31 points, sparked by some aggressive paint touches from Rautiola and sharp perimeter shooting from senior guard Valerie Luizzi. The duo combined for 21 points in the period, helping the Owls knot up the game at 43 apiece and erase what had been a 16-point Worcester State lead.
Rautiola was red hot, scoring a game-high 28 points while going 10-for-11 at the free-throw line. Luizzi added an efficient 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including three three-pointers, while forward Bella Schultz-Mitchell and guard Ruby Dasaro were key contributors with eight points each.
Keene State also capitalized on Worcester State’s turnovers, converting them into 31 points, which was the main reason why they came out victorious in this matchup.
Worcester State was led by center Alana Smith, who posted 17 points and 11 rebounds, and guard Lena Waldron, who added 15 points.
Despite the dominance down low with Worcester State’s 38 points in the paint, the Lancers struggled from deep, finishing just 4-for-17 from behind the arc.
Keene State held a 12-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter and maintained control down the stretch with efficient free-throw shooting.
The win pushes the Owls to 5–2, while Worcester State falls to 3–4 in the early season.
Jonathan Smyers can be contacted at
