DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by a highly efficient 22-point game from grad student
Carly Whiteside, the UMass Dartmouth women's basketball team overwhelmed Plymouth State, 77-56, in Little East action on Saturday in Plymouth, N.H. The win saw the Corsairs move to 17-2 overall and 9-1 in the LEC. UMD is on an eight-game win streak and were ranked #24 in the latest WBCA Coaches Poll. Meanwhile the Panthers are now 8-10 overall with a 4-6 mark in conference play.
The Corsairs held a 37-17 lead after the opening two quarters of play, led by a near-perfect half from Whiteside. In the first half alone, Whiteside tallied 15 points, going 4 for 4 from the field, 1 for 1 from deep, and 6 for 6 from the free throw line to hold a perfect shooting percentage in all three areas after 20 minutes of play. Senior
Teja Andrews had a strong first half as well, totaling nine first-half points.
It was Andrews again that got things going for the Corsairs to start the third quarter, scoring the first four UMD points for the quarter. The Panthers were efficient from the free-throw line, clawing their way back in it after solid shooting from junior Bri Wilcox and senior Natalie Harris. Two Wilcox free throws narrowed the deficit to 17 points with 4:37 to go in the third quarter. UMass Dartmouth responded in a big way with a pair of threes from sophomore
Melanie DeMeo and junior
Amaris Mills to go up, 55-33 with just 1:43 remaining in the third. A couple mid-range jumpers from PSU senior Lauren Keller cut brought the Panthers back within 20 at the end of the quarter, but two DeMeo free throws gave UMD a 57-37 advantage going into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter saw more of the same for the Corsairs, who were able to maintain a lead of about 20 points throughout the quarter. Plymouth State was able to make a bit of a run with five minutes to go, cutting their deficit down to just 13 after a Wilcox three-pointer. Whiteside put an exclamation point on the game for the Corsairs with two free throws and two inside buckets that gave UMass Dartmouth a 19-point lead again with 2:23 to go. The Corsairs wound out the clock, with Andrews sinking two free throws and freshman
Shelby Companion nailing a mid-range jumper that put away the Panthers, 77-56.
The Panthers were unable to find success from the three-point line throughout the contest, going 1 for 6 from deep (10.0%). UMass Dartmouth out-paced the Warriors in three categories; Points Off Turnovers (20-17), Points in the Paint (34-30) and Fast Break Points (12-5). The Panthers outscored UMD on 2
nd Chance Opportunities (17-11).
Plymouth State, paced throughout by Wilcox, saw the junior guard score 16 points with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Harris was right behind her with 12 points on 4 for 6 from the field and 4 for 5 from the free throw line.
UMass Dartmouth was paced by Whiteside's game-high 22 points on ridiculous efficiency. Whiteside went 6 for 7 from the field, 1 for 1 on three-point attempts, and 9 for 11 from the free throw line. She also hauled in eight rebounds and blocked two shots. Three other Corsairs scored in double-digits, including Andrews with 18 points, four rebounds and two steals. DeMeo and Mills each scored 10 and each made two three-pointers.
The Corsairs, who were voted the #24 team in the country in the latest WBCA Coaches Poll, return to the Tripp Athletic Center on Wednesday, seeking revenge on #3 Rhode Island College, who handed UMass Dartmouth its only conference loss earlier in the season. The LEC rivals tip off at 5:30pm.
