Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Sophomore Nakira Examond (New Bedford, Mass.) generated a game-high 24 points and a career-high 22 rebounds, but missed opportunities plagued the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's basketball team throughout as Eastern Connecticut snapped the Corsairs' four-game win streak on Wednesday, 74-68.
The Basics
Score: Eastern Connecticut 74, UMass Dartmouth 68
Records: Eastern Connecticut (8-5, 3-1 LEC) | UMass Dartmouth (11-3, 2-2 LEC)
How it Happened
Despite Examond reaching her double-double in the first half, Eastern Connecticut was able to maintain a small advantage throughout much of the opening two quarters. Early in the second quarter, back-to-back 3-point buckets from ECSU guards Julia DePoi (Brookfield, Conn.) and Jordyn Nappi (Southington, Conn.) gave the Warriors' their largest lead thus far at 13 points. Corsair senior Rachel McCarron (Groton, Mass.) responded with a 3-pointer of her own, and a series of UMass Dartmouth baskets in the paint put the visitors right back in contention. At the halftime buzzer, Nappi registered a layup to nudge ECSU's lead to 39-32.
Missed shots continued to plague the Corsairs early in the second, but UMass Dartmouth made the most of its free-throw opportunities to keep within 10 in spite of ECSU's accuracy from beyond the arc. The Corsairs' full-court press put them within three points on several occasions midway through the fourth, and junior Alicia Kutil (Franklin, Mass.) cut the deficit 69-68 at 2:38. A series of fouls kept the ball in UMass Dartmouth's hands for much of the final minute, but the again numerous chances would not fall as ECSU's Kelsey Santagata (Stamford, Conn.) drove in the final dagger with a pair of foul shots in the waning seconds.
Inside the Numbers
- UMass Dartmouth converted only 25-of-74 (33 percent) from the field for the game, its lowest field goal percentage since its last loss at Johnson & Wales on Dec. 13.
- Examond joins Megan Ronaghan as the second UMass Dartmouth player in two seasons to post 20-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in a game. Last season, Ronaghan turned out 37 points and 20 rebounds at Rhode Island College on Jan. 20, 2016.
- Despite her career-high total on the boards, Examond could muster only 39 percent (9-of-23) from the field on the contest, a season-low.
- With 58 boards to the Warriors' 36, the Corsairs have now outrebounded opponents by at least 10 in nine of 12 games on the season.
- McCarron and Kutil rounded out the Corsairs in double-figures, finishing with 16 and 13 points, respectively.
- Santagata paced ECSU's well-rounded attack with four players in double-figures, posting 19 points.
- Eastern Connecticut extends its dominance in the all-time series against the Corsairs, rising to 65-13 all-time.
Up Next
The Corsairs are back at home on Saturday, hosting Southern Maine as Little East Conference play continues at 1:30 p.m.
