Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's basketball team raced out to a 25-point halftime lead and cruised to an 84-62 victory over visiting Colby-Sawyer College this afternoon in the finale of the 2014 Fairfield Inn & Suites Classic. Junior Beth Castantini (Newburyport, Mass.) scored a team-high 16 points to earn the Most Outstanding Player Award.
Castantini averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game to help the Corsairs open the 2014 season with a pair of victories. Sophomore Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) also represented the hosts on the All-Fairfield Inn & Suites Classic Team.
UMass Dartmouth utlized a well-balanced scoring attack as five student-athletes reached double figures in scoring. The Corsairs connected on 49.1 percent of their attempts (28-for-57) from the field, including 37.5 percent (9-for-24) from behind the 3-point arc. Senior Erin Fahey (Salem, Mass.) posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman Alicia Kutil (Franklin, Mass.) and Ronaghan eached chipped in with 14 points. Senior guard Kelsey Garrity (Somerville, Mass.) piloted the hosts' attack, netting 12 points, pulling in five rebounds, and handing out four assists.
Senior Kelsey Cahill (Cumberland, R.I.) led the Chargers, producing a monster double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds, to earn a spot on the All-Classic Team. Freshman Amanda Calvo (South Deerfield, Mass.) poured in 15 points, while junior Katie McCarthy (Mansfield, Mass.) tossed in 12 points. Freshman Morgan Fogg (Sanford, Maine) and McCarthy each dished out three helpers.
Colby-Sawyer scored the first basket of the game, but a Garrity layup gave UMass Dartmouth a lead it would never relinquish. The Corsairs used a 10-0 run to seize control of the contest, highlighted by back-to-back triples from junior Marisa McCabe (Cedar Grove, N.J.) and Castantini.
The Chargers converted a traditional three-point play to trim their deficit to 18-9, but the hosts exploded for a 20-7 run to break the game wide open. UMass Dartmouth knocked down four three-pointers during the spurt, while Garrity added five points. The Corsairs led by at least 20 points for the remainder of the half, taking a 46-21 advantage into the intermission.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 7p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, when the Corsairs travel to WPI.
