BOX SCORE

DANBURY, CT (Feb. 26) — The Western Connecticut State University women's basketball team punched its ticket to this year's NCAA Division III national tournament with another dominant performance by senior Melissa Teel (Hamden, CT) in a 74-58 win over Eastern Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon at Feldman Arena.

Teel was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 39 points, collecting 13 rebounds and blocking seven shots. She broke her own single-game scoring record of 38 points that she set last night in the semifinal win over Rhode Island College.

The Colonials earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, which begins with first and second round games on Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5. They will learn on Sunday or Monday where they will be for the opening rounds, maybe right at Feldman Arena. It will be WestConn's 13th NCAA appearance and third straight. Last year, it advanced to the second round.

WestConn got on the board first with jumpers by Teel and freshman Sciarra Brandt (Thomaston, CT), and held Eastern Connecticut scoreless for the game's first three minutes to take a 4-0 lead. 

Tanisha Carter (East Hartford, CT) answered for Eastern with two jumpers to even the score at 4-4 with 15:57 to play in the half.  She finished with a team-leading 21 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the field and collected a team-high nine boards.

The score remained tight over the next seven minutes until back-to-back lay ups by Stephanie Slonski (Griswold, CT) and Karli Spera (Waterford, CT) gave WestConn a seven-point 22-15 lead with 7:30 left before intermission. 

Two minutes later, sophomore Nicole Eanniello (Danbury, CT) stole the ball from Jessica Moriarty and took the ball the length of the court to give the Colonials a 27-19 lead. The Colonials lead grew to 12 points, 38-26 following a jumper from Tequilla Lloyd (Wolcott, CT) eight ticks before recess.

The Warriors, 20-8, drew within seven points, 51-44, following a jumper in the lane by Piper Chapman (Portsmouth, RI) with 9:38 remaining in the game. A 6-0 run, over the next two minutes by WestConn, thwarted any threat of an ECSU comeback and started an 8:39 span of a double-digit lead.

Spera added 14 points and led all players with six assists while Slonski added 11 points and handed out five dimes.

For Eastern Connecticut, Brittany Whitely (Windsor Locks, CT) added 10 points while Chapman pulled down nine caroms.

Eastern, which defeated Southern Maine, 78-64, will hope to get one of the at-large bids available for the NCAA Tournament.

Newspaper Box Score

EASTERN CONNECTICUT (20-8)
Tanisha Carter 10-16 1-1 21; Brittany Whiteley 4-8 2-3 10; Jessica Moriarty 4-13 1-2 9; Piper Chapman 3-12 1-3 7; Lauren Kelleher 1-2 3-3 5; Amanda Pierlioni 2-6 0-0 4; Jessica Blodgett 1-1 0-0 2; Rachael Armstrong 0-0 0-0 0; Samantha Riccio 0-0 0-0 0; Nikki Caron 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-58 8-12 58.

WESTERN CONNECTICUT (23-3)
Melissa Teel 17-25 5-10 39; Karli Spera 6-8 0-0 14; Stephanie Slonski 4-5 2-2 11; Nicole Eanniello 2-4 0-0 4; Sciarra Brandt 2-3 0-0 4; Tequilla Lloyd 1-3 0-0 2; Heather Lee 0-2 0-0 0; Taylor Nkonoki 0-2 0-0 0; Jackie Zilnicki 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-52 7-12 74.

Eastern Connecticut........... 26 32 - 58
Western Connecticut........... 38 36 - 74

3-point goals--Eastern Connecticut 0-3 (; Piper Chapman 0-2; Amanda Pierlioni 0-1), Western Connecticut 3-7 (Karli Spera 2-2; Stephanie Slonski 1-1; Heather Lee 0-1; Taylor Nkonoki 0-2; Nicole Eanniello 0-1). Fouled out--Eastern Connecticut-None, Western Connecticut-Karli Spera. Rebounds--Eastern Connecticut 33 (Piper Chapman 9; Tanisha Carter 9), Western Connecticut 28 (Melissa Teel 13). Assists--Eastern Connecticut 16 (Amanda Pierlioni 4; Piper Chapman 4), Western Connecticut 23 (Karli Spera 6). Total fouls--Eastern Connecticut 14, Western Connecticut 12. Technical
fouls--Eastern Connecticut-None, Western Connecticut-None. A-678
2011 Little East Conference Tournament Championship
Western Connecticut Champions