Hartford, Conn. – Sophomore forward Anna Barry (Andover, Mass.) had 12 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocked shots to lead the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to a 45-43 victory over the Springfield College Pride in the Trinity College Women's Basketball Tip-Off Tournament Finals at Oosting Gymnasium this afternoon. Eastern Connecticut improves to 3-0, while the Pride falls to 3-1. The Trinity Bantams took third-place in the tournament with a 74-52 win over the Montclair State University Red Hawks in the early game. Bantam first-year guard Bria Fuller (Springdale, Md.) had 23 points, sinking 11 of 12 shots from the foul line, and six rebounds for the Bantams.
Trinity fell behind, 5-0, early but scored nine of the game's next 10 points and led, 9-6, on Fuller jumper with 3:17 left in the first quarter. Trinity senior tri-captain Peace Kabari (Manchester, N.H.) drilled a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the first frame to give the Bantams a 16-10 lead at the first break. The Bantams increased their lead to double digits at 25-13 on a basket inside by sophomore center Elizabeth Althoff (Staten Island, N.Y.) at the 7:14 mark of the second quarter and Fuller made a three-pointer with four seconds remaining before halftime to make it, 39-26.
Trinity led by as many as 28 points in the second half, holding the Red Hawks to a 28.8 shooting percentage, forcing 17 turnovers, and outrebounding Montclair State, 46-30. Kabari finished with 16 points, game-highs of 11 boards, five assists, and three steals, and a pair of blocked shots. Althoff scored 14 points with five rebounds and four blocks, while classmate Bailey Hyland (Broad Brook, Conn.) collected nine points and nine rebounds. Nicole Carter paced Montclair State with 18 points, and Cerys McLelland (Cranford, N.J.) added eight points and four assists.
In the championship game, Eastern Connecticut never trailed, holding Springfield to 13 points in the first half, until the Pride tied the game for the first time at 43-43 with 30 seconds left on an old-fashioned three-point play by Emily Jacques (Auburn, Maine), and a steal and a long-range trey by Lauren Rudolph (Franklin, Mass.). Warrior sophomore guard Julia Keckler (Trumbull, Conn.) was fouled inside and made both free throws to give Eastern Connecticut a 45-43 lead, and the Pride turned the ball over on the game's last possession.
Keckler joined Barry in double figures with 11 points, while Jacques paced Springfield with nine points and seven rebounds. Barry, Eastern Connecticut sophomore guard Jenna Serrantino (Cromwell, Conn.), who scored nine points, and Pride sophomore Alex Goslin (South Windsor, Conn.), who grabbed six rebounds, were named all-tournament from the final game. Carter represented Montclair State and Kabari made the all-tournament squad for the Bantams.