WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- The Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team limited Keene State College to 23 points through three quarters and never trailed after giving up the opening bucket and clinched at least a share of the Little East Conference regular-season title with a 57-36 win Wednesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
With the win, Eastern (20-4, 13-2 LEC) reaches 13 conference regular-season wins for the third time in history and records its 12th season of at least 20 victories in the last 20 years under 26th-year head coach Denise Bierly.
The Warriors close out the LEC regular season Saturday at Castleton University. A win gives them a record 14 LEC regular-season triumphs, their third outright regular-season championship in the last five years and the tournament's No. 1 seed. By losing, Eastern would share the regular-season title with Rhode Island College and would be seeded second behind the Anchorwomen, who have handed Eastern both of its LEC losses.
Regardless of Saturday's outcome, Eastern gains a first-round tournament bye and will host a tournament semifinal game a week from Thursday. In sole possession of the sixth and final LEC tournament spot, Keene (7-17, 6-9 LEC) is one game ahead of seventh-place University of Southern Maine and closes out the regular season Saturday by hosting Western Connecticut.
Through three quarters Wednesday, Eastern forced 18 Keene turnovers and held the Owls to 20.6 field goal shooting and coasted through the fourth quarter to complete a season sweep of Keene for the third straight year.
Ranked 2-3 in the LEC in field goal percentage, sophomore forward Anna Barry (Andover) and senior forward Mya Villard (Cromwell) were 11-of-16 from the floor against Keene and combined for ten rebounds in an average of only 25 minutes. Barry also blocked two of her tam's eight shots. Sophomore point guard Julie Keckler (Trumbull) had 11 points, five assists and two blocks. Freshman forward Mariah Dunn (Meriden) came off the bench for five points and six rebounds and sophomore guard Jenna Serrantino (Cromwell) added seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. Sophomore guard Danielle O'Brien (Rockland, MA) contributed a three-point field goal, five rebounds and four assists.
Keene, which failed on 3-of-21 three-points (as compared to Eastern's 3-of-19), got a game-high seven rebounds from senior guard Hien Thach and eight points and four assists off the bench from junior guard Lilly Shilmon.