DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by 24 points from senior guard
Amaris Mills, the UMass Dartmouth women's basketball team recorded a 77-69 win over Keene State in Little East Conference action on Wednesday evening. The Corsairs improve to 14-2 overall and remain perfect in LEC play at 7-0. The Owls – backed by a game-high 29 points from sophomore guard Brynn Rautiola – are now 7-10 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
UMass Dartmouth owned a 39-25 lead into the third quarter, but it was the Owls that responded as the visitors went on an 8-0 run – all from Rautiola – to cut the deficit to 39-33 and force a Corsairs timeout at 7:51. UMD answered as a layup and three straight three-pointers from Mills pushed the home team lead back to 50-39 with 5:40 remaining.
Keene State countered with treys of their own as junior guard Valerie Luizzi and Rautiola each dropped in shots, making it a five-point game (50-45) with 4:48 to go. The Owls continued to push the margin as Luizzi drove in for a layup, making it a three-point game with 3:36 to go in the quarter. UMass Dartmouth stepped up the offensive effort in the final three minutes – limiting the visitors to three points as the Corsairs got buckets from grad student forward
Carly Whiteside, fifth-year forward
Jemima Joseph and a three from beyond by grad student guard
Jane McCauley to head into the final quarter with a 10-point lead (60-50).
The back-and-forth battle continued into the start of the fourth quarter as the teams combined for just two points through the opening two and a half minutes of play. The visitors broke out, as free throw makes from sophomore guard Angel Pillsbury, couple with a jumper from senior forward Samantha Lee saw it become a 60-57 game at 6:58. UMD stole the momentum back, capitalizing on a Mills' layup and a three pointer from fifth-year guard and captain
Jaelyn Lavigne to regain a 65-57 lead.
Keene State refused to back down, taking advantage of several UMD fouls to once again tighten the lead as Lee drained a pair of shots at the line for a 65-62 game with 4:34 remaining in the game. The Corsairs fought back as Whiteside drained a pair of free throws, while Mills answered with another trey, opening back up a 70-62 lead with 3:37 on the clock.
Trailing 72-64, Keene got another three from Luizzi, making it a 72-67 game, but the Corsairs continued to answer down the stretch enroute to the victory.
Mills' 24 points was a career-high at UMass Dartmouth and included a 6-for-12 effort from three-point range, adding four boards, three assists and a block. Whiteside added 20 points with six rebounds and two assists, while Lavigne added eight points and six rebounds to go along with a block, two assists and three steals. Graduate student guard and captain
Teja Andrews added a game-best four steals with five assists, six points and three boards.
The Corsairs return to the court on Saturday, traveling to Lewiston, Maine for a 2pm contest against non-conference Bates College.
