DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by a strong second half effort, #3 Rhode Island College overcame UMass Dartmouth, 62-50 in Little East women's basketball action on Wednesday evening. The Anchorwomen remain perfect at 21-0 overall and 12-0 in the conference, while the 22nd-ranked Corsairs hiccup to 17-3 overall and 9-2 in LEC play.
The Corsairs, who trailed by nine-points after the opening two quarters, outscored the Anchorwomen by a 16-10 margin in the third stanza to cut the deficit to three points heading into the final quarter of the contest.
A turning point in the game came with 2:30 left in the third, when the Corsairs were trailing by nine. UMD junior
Amaris Mills hit a mid-range jumper, then nailed a three that cut the RIC lead to four. After a steal by Mills, sophomore
Tyah Pettaway stepped into a three of her own and nailed it, as the Tripp Center erupted with cheers. The Corsairs had cut the lead down to just one point before RIC junior Jayda Bing sunk a pair of free throws, putting Rhode Island College up, 43-40, entering the fourth quarter.
It was the Anchorwomen who went on a run to start the fourth. They went on a 10-2 run in the first 3:08 of the quarter, capped off by a put-back layup by fifth year Jeniyah Jones. The Corsairs struggled to generate offense in the fourth quarter, as they went on to lose, 62-50.
Despite being held to just 15.0% from three-point range, five players recorded double-figures for the Anchorwomen, paced by grad student Sophia Guerrier's 13 points. Jones posted her first double-souble of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Bing scored 11 points with seven rebounds, going 4 for 4 from the free throw line. RIC also saw 10-point nights from fifth year Izabelle Booth and junior Angelina Nardolillo. Rhode Island College won the battle in 2
nd Chance Points (15-7) and Fast Break Points (11-5).
For the Corsairs, grad student
Carly Whiteside posted a game-high 15 points, going 7-of-14 from the floor, adding seven boards and two blocked shots. Pettaway and senior
Teja Andrews each scored 11 points. Pettaway added seven boards and three steals, while Andrews added nine rebounds and blocked two shots. UMass Dartmouth won the battle for Points off Turnovers (19-14) and Bench Scoring (17-11).
The Corsairs return to the court on February 3, traveling to VTSU Castleton for a 12pm Little East bout with the Spartans.
