Keene State Women’s Basketball team advanced to an overall 7-2 on the season this week after a decisive 76-59 win over UMass Boston this past Saturday, Dec. 6.
The team came into this game 6-2 overall, having won their previous game against Vermont State, looking to continue the win streak. UMass Boston came into this game with a 4-1 record, coming off a loss in their previous game to the University of Southern Maine.
Keene State’s first possession of the game saw senior guard Brynn Rautiola open the scoring with a three, though the Beacons responded in kind to make it a one-point game. It did little to change the outcome of the quarter however, as over the next four minutes the Owls would go on a scoring spree, with senior guard Valerie Luizzi hitting a three, fellow senior forward and Captain Avery Stewart making both of her free throw attempts, and first-year guard and forward Sydney Cassidy scoring four points to put KSC up 12-5 at the halfway point of the first.
The Beacons also made a scoring run over the course of three minutes to again make it a one-point game. The remainder of the first quarter saw KSC go on yet another scoring run, with four points being scored by sophomore guard Ruby Dasaro and a basket from both Rautiola and Luizzi to make it a 22-13 lead going into the second quarter.
The second quarter saw the Beacons score on back-to-back possessions to make it a five-point game. The first half of the second saw both teams score back-to-back, ending the first half with a score of 42-33.
UMass Boston opened up the second half with six points to cut KSC’s lead to just three, all within two minutes of the half starting. It was marked by more back-and-forth scoring between both sides, with the Beacons keeping the score close throughout. Dasaro hit both free throws and Rautiola made a layup towards the end of the half to give the Owls a 55-49 lead going into the final.
The final quarter of the game saw Keene State pull away with the lead early on, with 14 points over the first five minutes. Dasaro made six of the 14, with Luizzi and Rautiola each making a three and Stewart adding two free throws to make the score 69-49. The Beacons made an attempt at a comeback, hitting a three, but were shut down for the rest of the game, coming within 15 points of the lead. Senior guard Lilly Krysinski made a layup, with Luizzi also making one on the Owls’ final possession of the game, solidifying their 76-59 win.
The Owls move onto 7-2 overall on the season, and an undefeated 3-0 at home. The team will travel down to Daytona Beach, Florida to play the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point during the Florida Sunshine Shootout on Monday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m.
Nathan Eliopoulos can be contacted at
neliopoulos@kscequinox.com
