Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Dartmouth sophomore Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) scored nine of her 13 second-half points during a decisive 17-0 run to guide the Corsairs to a 70-50 victory over visiting Worcester State University this evening in a NCAA Division III women's basketball game at the Tripp Athletic Center.
Four UMass Dartmouth (6-1) starters reached double digits in scoring, led by Ronaghan's 22-point performance. Senior Erin Fahey (Salem, Mass.) registered 10 points and a game-best 11 rebounds to post her second double-double of the season. Classmate Kelsey Garrity (Somerville, Mass.) filled out the box score with 11 points, four rebounds, a game-high eight assists, and two steals. Junior Beth Castantini (Newburyport, Mass.) rounded out the Corsair contingent in double figures with 10 points, half of which came as the hosts broke open a four-point advantage with a 17-0 surge.
UMass Dartmouth dominated in the paint, outscoring the visitors 36-14, while turning 19 Lancer turnovers into 32 points.
Senior Shannen El-Qasem (Rutland, Mass.) led Worcester State with a double-double, consisting of 12 points and 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Junior Bianca Langford (Worcester, Mass.) nearly logged a double-double with nine points and nine boards. Freshman Allie Lake (Westport, Mass.) handed out a team-high three assists in front of her home crowd.
The Corsairs utilized an 8-3 run over the final three minutes, 23 seconds of the first half to storm into the locker room with a 35-24 advantage. Junior Colleen Kane (Arlington, Mass.) jumpstarted the run with a three-pointer and Ronaghan followed suit with a traditional three-point play. Fahey closed the stanza by beating the buzzer with a jumper inside the final three seconds.
Langford scored the opening six points of the second stanza to trim the Lancers' deficit to 35-30, capitalizing on a pair of UMass Dartmouth miscues. Moments later, senior Keisha Jones (Worcester, Mass.) drained a triple from the left wing to draw the visitors to their closest margin of the second half (39-35) with 17 minutes, 8 seconds on the clock. Worcester State would go scoreless for the subsequent eight minutes and 20 seconds.
Meanwhile, UMass Dartmouth regained its offensive rhythm, making a concerted to feed the ball into the blocks. Ronaghan started the run with a lay-up, while Castantini rattled off the following five, including a conventional three-point play. Ronaghan mirrored Castantini's effort with the next five points, while freshman Alicia Kutil (Franklin, Mass.) knocked down two of her seven overall points from the charity stripe. Ronaghan capped the decisive run with a jumper, handing the Corsairs a 56-36 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.
The hosts would not let their lead dip below 18 points thereafter, while ballooning their largest advantage to 25 points on three different occasions.
UMass Dartmouth held a slight 37-34 edge on the boards, while limiting the Lancers to just 31 percent (18-for-58) from the field.
UMass Dartmouth will open Little East Conference action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, when the Corsairs travel to Plymouth State University.
