BOSTON, Mass.--UMass Boston sophomore Taje Burston (Springfield, Mass.) knocked down a three-pointer with 9.3 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Beacons to a 63-61 Little East Conference victory over visiting University of Massachusetts Dartmouth this evening inside the Clark Athletic Center.
Sophomore Meghan Ronagham hit a jumper from the low blocks to extend the Corsairs lead to 61-58 with 2:11 remaining on the clock. The visitors had two opportunities to add to their advantage, but were unable to convert on the offense end to allow UMass Boston to remain within striking distance. Junior Olivia Murphy(Canton, Mass.) drained a jumper from the top of the key with 45 seconds left and the Beacons forced a stop on the ensuing possession to set up the winning sequence.
UMass Dartmouth, ranked fifth in NCAA Division III Northeast Region, suffered its second-straight setback to fall to 16-6. UMass Boston, winners of three of its past four games, improved to 14-8. The Corsairs had an opportunity to move into sole possession of first place in the conference standings with a win after Eastern Connecticut dropped a 48-35 decision to Keene State College this evening.
With the win, sixth-year head coach Courtney Mattingly tied her single-season marks for most wins in a year (14) and Little East Conference victories (six). With three games remaining in the regular season, UMass Boston needs just one win to tie the program-record for wins in a season (15) set by the 1981-82 and 2006-07 teams.
Murphy and senior Kirsten Morrison (North Reading, Mass.) each posted a double-double to spotlight the Beacons. Murphy recorded a game-high 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Morrison produced 10 points and 11 boards. Sophomore Mallory Nelson (Topsham, Mass.) also reached double figures in scoring with 13 points.
Freshman Jamie Ballou (Foxboro, Mass.) keyed the Beacons' second-half run with a team-high six assists in 22 minutes of action.
Ronaghan was the lone UMass Dartmouth player to reach double-digits in scoring with 21 points. The sophomore from North Attleboro, Mass. accounted for 10 of the Corsairs 23 second-half points. She finished the contest shooting 8-for-18 from the field and 5-for-5 from the foul line. Senior Kelsey Garrity produced nine points, six rebounds, and seven assists, while junior Beth Castantini also contributed nine points.
UMass Dartmouth utilized a 12-0 run midway through the first half to turn a one possession contest into its largest lead of the game (15 pts., 29-14). The Corsairs shot 50.0 percent (15-for-30) from the floor, including a blistering 83.3 percent (5-for-6) from downtown, to enter the halftime intermission with a 38-27 advantage.
Trailing 49-36 with 14:25 remaining in regulation, the Beacons used a 15-2 surge over the span of nearly five minutes to whittle their deficit to 51-50. SophomoreKatrina Edwards (Springfield, Mass.) powered the run with five points, while Burston capped the surge with the first of her two triples.
Garrity stemmed the tide with a pair of free throws and senior Erin Fahey added a lay-up to push the visitors lead back to five points. However, Murphy answered with back-to-back buckets, and Nelson drained a jumper to give the hosts' their first advantage since early in the first half.
Once again, UMass Dartmouth converted a pair from the charity stripe to regain its advantage. Ronaghan increased the lead to three points with a jumper, but Murphy and Ronaghan exchanged baskets to restore the Corsairs advantage to 61-58 with 2:11 left on the scoreboard.
UMass Dartmouth shot 34.9 percent (22-for-63) from the field, including 42.9 percent (6-for-14) from behind the three-point arc. The Beacons converted 57.1 percent (16-for-28) of their attempts in the second stanza to raise their shooting percentage to 39.1 percent (25-for-64). UMass Boston held a slight 41-38 advantage on the glass, and forced the visitors into 18 turnovers.
The Beacons will look to improve to two-games above .500 in conference play on Saturday, when UMass Boston hosts Plymouth State University at 1 p.m.
Information In This Release Courtesy of UMass Dartmouth Sports Information Department