Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Dartmouth senior Kelsey Garrity (Somerville, Mass.) scored a game-high 19 points and pulled in seven rebounds to lead the Corsairs to a 56-48 Little East Conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University this afternoon inside the Tripp Athletic Center.
UMass Dartmouth (17-6) moved into sole possession of first place in the conference standings with a 9-3 mark, moving one game ahead of the Warriors (15-8, 8-4) and Southern Maine (12-11, 8-4). The Corsairs' nine Little East Conference wins are a new program record, surpassing the previous standard set by the 2014 and 2013 squads.
UMass Dartmouth shot 39.0 percent (23-for-59) from the field and 90.0 percent (9-for-10) from the foul line, while limiting Eastern Connecticut to 23.4 percent (15-for-64) from the floor and 70 percent (14-for-20) from the charity stripe. The Warriors were able to remain within striking distance by forcing the Corsairs into 20 turnovers, while committing 15 of their own.
Garrity was 8-for-11 from the field and 3-for-3 from the foul line to lead three players in double figures in scoring. Freshman Alicia Kutil (Franklin, Mass.) registered 13 points, on 5-for-10 shooting, four rebounds, and two blocks in 25 minutes of action, while sophomore Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) netted 10 points and pulled in six boards. Senior Erin Fahey (Salem, Mass.) turned in a balanced performance with seven points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
Junior Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Mass.) nearly posted a double-double with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds to lead Eastern Connecticut. Sophomore Jordyn Nappi (Southington, Conn.) came off the bench to produce a team-high 12 points, while senior Kristina Forsman (Newington, Conn.) and sophomore Julia DePoi (Brookfield, Conn.) registered 11 and 10 points, respectively.
In a closey-contested first half that featured six ties and neither team holding a lead greater than two possessions. UMass Dartmouth scored six consecutive points, capped by a Ronaghan jumper, to take its largest advantage of the first half, 20-15. The Warriors responded with a 6-0 surge of their own over the next three minutes to regain their advantage. The Corsairs sandwiched a pair of traditional three-point plays between a DePoi trifecta to take a 27-26 lead into the locker room.
After both teams traded baskets to open the second stanza, UMass Dartmouth had to battle foul trouble as Garrity was sent to the bench with her fourth at 16:59. The Corsairs began to run their offense through the low blocks and Ronaghan responded with six of the hosts' next eight points to push UMass Dartmouth's lead to 37-34. However, Ronaghan was whistled for her fourth foul with 12:15 left on the clock, forcing the Corsairs to play without their two leading scorers.
Eastern Connecticut cut its deficit to two points, but sophomore Rachel McCarron (Groton, Mass.) drained her only three-pointer of the afternoon. Following a stop at the defensive end of the court, Kutil knocked down a jumper to force the visitors into a timeout and stretch the Corsairs lead to 42-37 with 10:40 remaining in regulation.
UMass Dartmouth utilized a 10-2 run to extend its advantage to double digits for the first time, 52-42. Fahey keyed the surge with four points, while Garrity came off the bench to cap the surge with a jumper. The Warriors trimmed their deficit to six points, 54-48, but Garrity registered the final two points of the contest from the charity stripe.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, when the Corsairs travel to Little East Conference rival Rhode Island College (6-17, 4-8).
