Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut used a well-rounded offensive attack after a cold first quarter to answer all Corsair efforts, as the top-seeded Warriors prevailed in the Little East Conference semifinal over No. 5 seed UMass Dartmouth women's basketball, 67-51.
The Corsairs close the season at 18-9, bowing out in the conference semifinal for the second consecutive season. Senior Beth Castantini (Newburyport, Mass.) paced UMass Dartmouth in her final game, registering 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting and five boards. Junior Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) contributed 14 points and sophomore Chelsea Houlihan (Wolcott, Conn.) posted eight points along with four assists.
The Warriors saw consistent production from the post and outside the arc, led by 20 points from junior guard Jordyn Nappi (Southington, Conn.). Senior forward Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Mass.) posted a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double as junior Lexis Foster (Groton, Conn.) added 10 points in the post. Junior Julia DePoi (Brookfield, Conn.) contributed 11 points, going 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
UMass Dartmouth got off to a blazing start to begin the contest, going on an 8-2 run in the first quarter after Nappi opened the game with a 3-pointer. The Corsairs took advantage of four Warrior turnovers with six points as Castantini went 3-of-4 from the field.
The slow Eastern Connecticut play wouldn't last, as the Warriors turned the tides with an 8-0 run spanning two minutes in the second quarter. Another Nappi bucket from beyond the arc cut the Corsair lead to one at 4:59, and a corresponding DePoi 3-pointer put the Warriors on top. Heading into half, Eastern Connecticut owned a 28-22 lead after converting nine points on the visitors' turnovers in the second stanza.
The Corsairs pulled within three on three separate occasions in the third quarter, but yet another long-range dagger from Nappi and two Foster buckets down low extended the Warrior lead to its largest point of 10 at 3:01. Junior Adi Alicea-Cordero (Dorchester, Mass.) hit a half-court buzzer-beater at the end of the quarter to keep the Corsairs within shooting distance.
The hosts were too much in the fourth quarter, answering every Corsair chance and eventually overwhelming the visitors as UMass Dartmouth entered foul trouble. Freshman Nakira Examond (New Bedford, Mass.) converted a foul shot to put UMass Dartmouth within six with five minutes remaining, but the Warriors squashed any comeback with a closing 12-2 streak.
Eastern Connecticut reached the foul line 28 times in the contest, making 19, while the Corsairs were able to connect on only four of 11 chances. The Warriors were also superior on the boards, out-rebounding the visitors 38-29, and advance to Saturday's Championship game to meet either No. 2 Keene State or No. 6 UMass Boston.
Despite the loss, UMass Dartmouth seniors Colleen Kane (Arlington, Mass.), Marisa McCabe (Cedar Grove, N.J.) and Castantini close their careers as one of the most successful classes in program history. Under head coaches Matt Ducharme and Amanda Van Voorhis, the trio has registered 15-plus wins in each of their seasons.
