CASTLETON, Vt. -- Senior Nakira Examond (New Bedford, Mass.) scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead four players in double figures, as UMass Dartmouth extended its winning streak to three straight with a 66-45 Little East Conference women's basketball victory over Castleton Saturday afternoon at Glenbrook Gym.
The visiting Corsairs (13-3, 6-1 LEC), who have now won 22 of their last 23 Little East regular season outings dating back to February 2017, jumped out to an 18-15 first quarter lead before the host Spartans (12-4, 4-3 LEC) received seven points from junior Alexis Quenneville (Orwell, Vt.) in the second stanza to grab a 30-29 advantage at the break. The two teams traded a pair of leads early after intermission before Examond's lay-in with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter gave UMass Dartmouth a 39-37 cushion, as that bucket sparked a 16-5 run to close the frame. The Corsairs held Castleton to just three points and a five percent (1-18) shooting performance in the fourth quarter, as the visitors scored the final 10 points over the last 5:55 of action to account for the final margin.
Senior Jess Korzec (West Brookfield, Mass.) added 12 points on a 6-of-8 shooting effort from the field and dished out a career-high nine assists in the triumph for UMass Dartmouth, which received 10 points junior Kayla McMahon (Hanover, Mass.). Freshman Shaelyn Carreiro (Fall River, Mass.) added 10 points and four rebounds for the Corsairs, who received nine points (on a trio of three pointers) from sophomore Meagan Donovan (Abington, Mass.). The visitors shot 45 percent (25-55) from the floor overall and connected for six treys, as UMass Dartmouth converted 17 turnovers into 18 points.
Quenneville finished with a game-high 14 points and three rebounds as the only player in double figures for Castleton, which received nine points, seven boards and three steals from sophomore Brooke Raiche (Ira, Vt.). Junior Katlyn Toomey (North Adams, Mass.) added six points and eight caroms for the Spartans, who shot 29 percent (16-56) from the field overall and connected on just two of 21 attempts from behind the arc. The hosts held a 36-35 rebounding edge, but the Corsairs outscored Castleton by a 36-20 margin in the paint.
UMass Dartmouth hosts Eastern Connecticut in a Little East Conference outing on Wednesday evening at the Tripp Athletic Center that tips-off at 5:30 pm, while Castleton heads to Providence, R.I. on Wednesday evening to square off with Rhode Island College in a Little East match-up that also tips-off at 5:30 pm.