PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The UMass Dartmouth women's basketball team fell on the road in Little East Conference (LEC) action, 84-54, against Plymouth State University on Saturday from the Foley Gymnasium. The Corsairs are now 5-7 in conference play and 8-13 overall while the Panthers moved to a 3-9 Little East mark.
The Corsairs opened the game with a quick 6-2 lead over the Panthers featuring a pair of layups by senior guard
Cristina Negron. Sophomore guard
Elizabeth Gresian doubled UMass Dartmouth's advantage to 8-4 after posting her first basket of the contest with 6:57 on the clock. Graduate student guard
Yasmine Santos added four points to hold a 12-8 lead however Plymouth State went on a 7-2 run to go ahead 15-14 after opening quarter.
The Panthers continued their momentum into the second quarter scoring 11 straight points to claim a 26-14 advantage. Senior guard
Kasey Oliver answered for the Corsairs by finishing an and-one play before laying in her second basket to make it 30-19. Santos posted two good free throws followed by a three-point shot from Negron with under two minutes left in the quarter, but the Panthers held on to a 37-27 lead at the break.
Plymouth State knocked down three triples to kick off the third quarter and pull away with 19-point cushion. After Santos clipped in a pair of free throws for the Corsairs, Genna Bolduc drained another three-pointer for the Panthers at the 6:09 mark to maintain a 49-29 lead. Santos and first year guard
Carly McDonald each laid in a basket for the Corsairs before the Panthers generated an 8-1 run to extend their advantage to 59-34 nearing the last two minutes of the third quarter. Despite a basket apiece from Ebenezer and Negron and two free throws made by senior guard
Melanie DeMeo, UMass Dartmouth entered the final quarter trailing 61-40.
Plymouth State went on a 6-1 run to start the fourth quarter to take a 67-41 lead with 6:48 left on the clock. Ebenezer paced the Corsairs offense after completing two free throws and then finishing a layup to make it 72-46 approaching the midway point of the quarter. McDonald produced a basket in the paint for UMass Dartmouth with under three minutes remaining in the contest. Despite a late basket by first year guard
Jillian Doherty, the Panthers went on to seal their third conference win of the season by a final score of 84-54.
Santos finished the afternoon with 12 points (3-9 FG, 6-12 FT) to go along with five rebounds, one assist, and a steal. Ebenezer produced career-highs with 12 points (4-11 FG, 4-8 F) and eight rebounds against the Panthers while also recording a block and one steal. Negron posted nine points (4-12 FG, 1-6 3FG) in addition to two offensive boards and a steal. Oliver led the squad with a team-high four steals to go along with five points (2-6 FG, 1-3 FT) and two rebounds.
UMass Dartmouth hosts Keene State College for their next Little East match-up on Wednesday, February 11 starting at 5:30 p.m. from the Tripp Athletic Center.
