Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – An early first quarter run by the UMass Boston proved too much for host UMass Dartmouth women's basketball on Wednesday evening, as the Beacons downed the Corsairs 78-67 in Little East Conference action at the Tripp Center.
The Corsairs fall to 12-6 and 3-5 in the league, while the Beacons improve to 10-8 and 3-5 in LEC play.
Junior Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) paced the Corsair offence with a team-high 26 points, while collecting a game-high eight rebounds. Senior Beth Castantini (Newburyport, Mass) put in a well-rounded game with 17 points, seven boards, three assists and three steals.
Beacon sophomore Grace Geary (Falmouth, Mass.) led the way for the visitors with a game-high 27 points, while chipping in four assists. Her 27 points tied her season-high, as Geary was one of three Beacons to register double-digits on the night. Senior Olivia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) contributed 19 points and six rebounds in the paint.
The Corsairs started out of the gates fast, getting the first two baskets of the game by both Ronaghan and sophomore Alicia Kutil (Franklin, Mass.) for two of her 13 on the evening. The Beacons would go back and forth with the Corsairs, until UMass Boston gained a commanding lead to end the first ten minutes, going on a 14-0 run spanning five minutes.
In the second stanza, UMass Dartmouth would keep clawing to cut into the Beacons lead but could only get within six points in the quarter before heading in for the intermission with a 37-30 deficit.
The third would be much of the same story as the second, UMD would narrow the lead to as little as three when Ronaghan converted a layup with 6:01 remaining in the quarter. The Beacons would pull away again though, closing out the third on a 9-4 run.
The combination of Geary and Murphy would finish off the game for the Beacons, scoring 17 of the teams 27 points in the final quarter.
The Beacons shot 48.1 percent (26-54) from the field, while the hosting Corsairs shot 43.8 percent (28-64).
The Corsairs held the advantage in second chance points (15-6) and the battle of the boards, swiping 38 rebounds compared to 30 for the Beacons.
UMass Dartmouth will return to Little East Conference action when they travel to Plymouth State on Saturday at 1 p.m., while UMass Boston travels to Keene State as they square off against the Owls with the same tip time.
