KSC Closes Out Strange, Shortened 2021 Campaign with Wins in Four of Final Six Games

Box Score

KEENE, N.H. – Hailey Derosia made 6-of-12 shots from the floor and scored 16 points to conclude a very solid sophomore campaign with another team-leading performance as the Keene State College women's basketball team stifled Norwich University 59-43 in the finale of a strange, unprecedented, and abbreviated season Sunday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.
 
Records

• Keene State:  5-5
• Norwich:  3-4

 
How It Happened
The Owls sent out their pair of seniors with one final home victory, completing a weekend sweep of Norwich after an 80-58 win Saturday that saw KSC make 18 threes, tied for sixth most in a Division III women's basketball game this season.  They did not reach that number again today, instead finishing with 10, but limited the Cadets to 29 percent shooting and forced a season-high 27 turnovers.  The Owls led by three (13-10) after one, but dominated the next two quarters, outscoring Norwich 36-16 (18-8 in each one) to build a commanding lead, which grew as high as 29 in the fourth.  Keene State finished with 15 assists on 22 made field goals as a team and turned the ball over just 13 times.  In the final two games, they handed out 36 helpers on 50 baskets.  The assist figures in the past two days mark the best two of the season.
 
The Cadets scored the opening basket of the game on Caileigh Travers' layup just 1:17 in, but their only lead of the weekend lasted just over two minutes as KSC scored the next five and was eventually up 10-5 at the 3:46 mark of the opening quarter after a three by Derosia and jumper by Arianna Hebert.  Norwich tied the game with five straight, but Keene State's scoring leader Derosia closed the quarter by canning another triple for a 13-10 lead.   The Owls did not have too much trouble from there, as they scored five in a row in less than a minute and a half to start the second and eventually built the advantage to 24-14 following Rylee Burgess' bucket and free throw at the 5:30 mark.  Hebert's steal of Rachel Botala that led to a Derosia layup made it a 14-point game a little over two minutes later, and KSC eventually led 31-18 at the break.  After the game was tied at 10, the Owls outscored Norwich 21-8 over the final 11:43 of the half.
 
Two free throws by Kailynne Frederick a little over a minute into the third quarter cut the Cadets deficit to 11, but Derosia answered by connecting on her third three, kicking off a 12-0 burst over the next 3:46 as Keene State quickly pushed the lead over 20, where it remained for most of the rest of the game.  Michelle LaBonte, who finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals, connected on her own deep shot in the final 40 seconds of the third to give KSC a 49-26 lead after three.  Six of her points (2-3 3-PT) and five of her rebounds came in that quarter.  Brianna Metellus nailed two from long range herself in the opening three minutes of the fourth to make it 57-28 with 6:58 left, and the Owls were well on their way.  Keene State shot 50 percent (12-for-24) from inside the arc today and made 5-of-7 foul shots while also recording a season-best 14 steals on the defensive end.  After not reaching 50 points in their opening three games, they averaged 59 over the next seven.
 
Rylee Burgess added eight points and six rebounds for KSC, shooting 53 percent in her rookie season.  Travers finished with a 15-point, 15-rebound double-double for Norwich, but was the only Cadet in double-figures.
 
Inside the Paint

• Derosia finishes the year as Keene State' leading scorer at 11.5 points per game on 44 percent shooting.  She made 14-of-27 (52 percent) from three-point range after a 3-for-8 showing today and finishes with marked improvements from her freshman year in all three categories.  The sophomore from Brattleboro, Vt. also grabbed 7.2 rebounds per game and had 25 assists.
• The win wraps up the careers of Lilly Shlimon and Jordyn Burke, who combined to play in 156 games for the Owls over their four years.  Shlimon finished with 749 career points while Burke grabbed 392 rebounds and shot 44 percent.
• Keene State played Norwich as many times in the last two days as they had in the previous 24 years and has won all four meetings since joining Division III in 1997.

Up Next

• Both teams will look toward the 2021-2022 season beginning in November.  The Owls, whose defense held opponents to 36 percent shooting overall in the 10 contests this season (one percent lower than a year ago), will look to build on what they learned in this truncated year with the returning group as they aim to continue moving back up the Little East ranks.  Norwich, a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, will feature a vastly different looking team after graduating five seniors.