Box Score

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Keene State College women's basketball team snapped out of a three-point shooting malaise in a big way Saturday afternoon, connecting on 18-of-43 (42 percent) while cruising to an 80-58 victory over Norwich University in non-conference action at Andrews Hall.
 
Records

• Keene State:  4-5
• Norwich:  3-3

How It Happened
Playing a team outside of the Little East Conference for the first time this season, the Owls recorded by far their highest point total, highest overall shooting percentage (44), highest three-point percentage (42), and team assist total (21) as they cruised to a 22-point win while never trailing.  Jackie Alibrandi made six triples while scoring a game-high 18 points, including two in the opening 2:05 as KSC raced out to a 6-0 lead.  A pair of triples from Michelle LaBonte, who made 5-of-10 herself in the game, 30 seconds apart later helped the Owl lead balloon to 15-4 with 3:37 left in the opening quarter.  She also added eight rebounds and a pair of assists to her 15 points.  Arianna Hebert filled the stat sheet with a new career-best 17 points (13 coming in the second half) on 5-of-8 shooting (2-of-3 from deep), five assists, and three rebounds.
 
Norwich trimmed the lead to 20-12 after one quarter following five points in a row by Rachel Botala, but consecutive triples early in the second from Lilly Shlimon and Hebert quickly pushed the KSC advantage up to 14.  The Owls remained well in control for the remainder of the half after that, matching a game-high, 17-point lead (40-23) heading into the break following buckets by Jenny Freedman and Shlimon in the final minute.  Keene State made 10-of-23 (43 percent) from long range in the opening 20 minutes and had 11 assists while turning the ball over just seven times.
 
Hebert hit a trey 13 seconds into the second half to make it a 20-point lead, but then came a rare Owl offensive lull – the only one of the game – as the hot-shooting Cadets went on an extended 21-7 surge that covered most of the third quarter, getting within 50-44 on another three by Botala at the 2:16 mark.  While KSC was shooting 5-for-16 (31 percent) and 4-of-13 from long range in the third frame, it was Norwich that found their shot, connecting on 8-of-13 (62 percent) from the floor and 4-of-7 (57 percent) from three to make it a game again.  Riley Bennett scored eight of her 14 points in that quarter and was one of four Cadets to hit a trey in that run.
 
However, it was not a game for long, as unsurprisingly, the Owls heated up again and used another flurry of threes to run away for good.  After Norwich got within six – as close as they had been all game – late in the third, Alibrandi and LaBonte repeated their first quarter feat again, making deep shots on consecutive possessions off feeds from Shlimon to make it 56-44 not even a minute later.  KSC carried a double-digit lead (56-46) into the final 10 minutes, and then closed the game powerfully, going on a 16-5 burst in the opening 4:31 of the fourth to lead 72-51.  The Owls made four triples in that span, three from Alibrandi, and saved their best shooting quarter for last, connecting on 9-of-14 (64 percent) and 4-of-7 (57 percent) from long-range while outscoring the Cadets 24-12.  Keene State's lead grew to as high as 26 in the closing minutes.  Hebert had an impressive fourth quarter showing, racking up eight points on 3-of-3 shooting and 2-of-2 from the foul line, three assists, and two rebounds.
 
Bennett had 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists to lead Norwich.  Botala did not miss a shot in the game (3-3 3-PT, 4-4 FT) while adding 13 points, but the Cadets – despite connecting on 6-of-11 (55 percent) threes themselves – were outscored 54-18 from beyond the arc.
 
Inside the Paint

• After connecting on only 17-of-116 tries from deep in the opening four games (1-3) of the season, KSC has doubled their percentage over the next five contests (3-2), shooting 32 percent (40-for-126).  Hailey Derosia, who finished with seven points, nine rebounds and four assists today, has made seven of her last nine threes and 11-of-19 (58 percent) on the season.
• It was just the third meeting between the teams since Keene State joined Division III in 1997.  The Owls won 61-58 in an ECAC quarterfinal in Vermont in 2015 and, before that, 88-75 in the Shaw's Tip-Off Tournament Championship in Keene in 2001.

Up Next

• The two teams wrap up their respective shortened seasons with another matchup tomorrow afternoon in Keene (1:00 p.m.).