DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The UMass Dartmouth women's basketball team fell in Little East Conference (LEC) action to Rhode Island College, 76-50, on Wednesday evening from the Tripp Athletic Center. The Corsairs dropped to 4-6 in conference play and 7-12 overall on the season while the Anchorwomen improved to an 8-2 Little East mark.
Sophomore guard
Elizabeth Gresian out the Corsairs on the scoreboard with a good layup off the feed from first year guard
Carly McDonald to claim an early 2-0 edge. After the Anchorwomen snagged a 5-2 lead, McDonald responded by scoring the next seven points for UMass Dartmouth highlighted by a three-pointer to make it 12-9 with 4:26 on the clock. First year guard
Amanda Ebenezer finished a pair of late free throws, but Rhode Island closed out the opening quarter 1ith a 19-11 advantage.
The Anchorwomen kicked off the second quarter with a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 28-11 with 6:22 left on the clock. Senior guard
Melanie DeMeo produced two quick baskets for UMass Dartmouth before first year
Jillian Doherty finished a jump shot at the 3:08 mark to make it 33-17. The visitors controlled the last two minutes of the quarter, scoring eight unanswered points to take a 24-point cushion into halftime.
After the Anchorwomen opened the third quarter with a 6-0 run, senior guard
Cristina Negron powered the Corsairs offense by knocking down two triples. Shortly after, senior guard
Kasey Oliver went 4-for4 from the free throw line before McDonald added another basket to make it 51-31. Ebenezer finished an and-one play late in the third for the Corsairs however Rhode Island maintained their 20-point edge heading into the final quarter.
Shalyn Smith started the fourth quarter with a triple to put the visitors ahead 60-37. Doherty quickly responded by finishing a driving layup off the feed from Oliver. Smith continued to propel the Anchorwomen's offense, adding six more points to claim a 25-point advantage. Doherty and first year forward
Jenna Micciantuono each clipped in a three-point shot for the Corsairs in an 8-4 run with under three minutes remaining in the contest. Rhode Island drained two late triples in the game to cement their eighth conference victory by a final score of 76-50.
McDonald (4-10 FG, 1-1 3FG) and Doherty (4-8 FG, 1-1 3FG) each scored a team-high nine points for the Corsairs. McDonald also recorded five rebounds, two assists, and a steal against the Anchorwomen. DeMeo finished the evening with eight points along with four boards, two assists, and a steal. Ebenezer recorded a career-high two blocked shots while also posting six points (1-3 FG, 4-5 FT) and a steal.
UMass Dartmouth hosts Eastern Connecticut State on Wednesday, February 4 for their next conference tilt slated for a 5:00 p.m. tipoff.
