PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Despite a game-high 23 points from graduate student
Carly Whiteside, #3 Rhode Island College overcame UMass Dartmouth, 67-52 in the Little East Conference Women's Basketball Championship Game on Saturday. The Anchorwomen cap off their perfect season with an LEC Championship, an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, where they will go into with a perfect 27-0 record. The Corsairs' outstanding season concludes with a 23-4 record, one of the best seasons in program history. UMass Dartmouth will watch attentively to the NCAA Tournament Selection show on Monday in hopes of an at-large bid.
Rhode Island College, paced throughout by Jeniyah Jones, saw the fifth year guard tally 14 points and nine rebounds. Junior Angelina Nardolillo and fifth year Izabelle Booth each added 12 points, along with 9 and 8 rebounds, respectively. Junior Madison Medbury scored 10 points and recorded 5 rebounds and 5 assists, as she was named the LEC Championship Game's Most Outstanding Player.
For the Corsairs, Whiteside posted a game-high 23 points, going 9 for 17 (52.9%) from the floor and 3 for 4 (75.0%) from deep. Zalewski, coming off a career-high 20 points in Thursday's semifinal against Southern Maine, added 14 points and made 2 of her 3 three-point attempts. Junior
Amaris Mills posted 10 points off the bench and made two three-pointers.
The Corsairs, who trailed 15-8 after the opening quarter, kept themselves within striking distance throughout the second quarter. UMass Dartmouth trailed 17-8 when they went on a 9-2 run, cutting their deficit down to two points with 7:19 left in the half. The Corsairs' run featured four points from senior
Kaylin Zalewski and a three-ball from Whiteside. RIC responded with a 7-1 run of their own that put them back up by eight at the 5:27 mark. The Anchorwomen went into the locker room with a 36-26 lead over UMass Dartmouth.
Rhode Island College was able to build on their lead in the third quarter, outscoring UMass Dartmouth 17-10 in the frame. The Anchorwomen began the quarter on a 15-4 run that extended their lead to 21 points at the 5:59 mark of the third. No other field goals were made in the third quarter, but some good free throw shooting from the Corsairs narrowed their deficit to 17 points entering the final quarter.
Rhode Island College held on to their lead in the fourth quarter. At the final horn, the Anchorwomen defeated UMass Dartmouth, 67-52. This marks RIC's fourth consecutive Little East Conference Tournament Championship and will make their third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Corsairs will be tuned in to the NCAA DIII Women's Basketball Selection Show on Monday, hoping to hear their name called for an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Selection Show will take place at 2:30pm on February 26
th.
