NEW LONDON, Conn.—The Connecticut College women's basketball team has struggled with shooting this season, and Sunday, Eastern Connecticut State University benefited from those struggles.
In a non-conference game at the Charles Luce Field House, Conn (1-4) missed 74 percent of its first-half shot that allowed Eastern (4-2) to build a 16-point halftime lead on the way to its fourth straight win over the Camels and fourth straight victory this year, 63-48.
Led by senior guard Danielle O'Brien (Rockland, MA), Eastern connected on half of its eight three-point field goals in the first half, using a 10-2 run over the final four minutes of the first half – holding the Camels scoreless from the floor and to just two free throws in that stretch – to break from an 8-all tie and build its 16-point, 35-19 lead at the break.
A 33 percent shooting team this year, Conn managed 31 percent from the floor (5 of 21 from distance) in the game. It was the least points allowed this season by the Warriors and the lowest shooting percentage by an Eastern opponent.
Eastern was content to trade baskets in the second half after riding to its 16-point halftime lead. When a win was still within striking distance in the third quarter, Conn had several opportunities to cut the Warriors' lead to single digits, but never got closer than ten. Caelin Peters' three-pointer from the left side a minute into the fourth quarter made it a ten-point game, but the hosts missed twice on their next two possessions in their bid to slice the deficit to single digits, and senior guard Jenna Serrantino's (Cromwell) only three-point field goal of the game restored a 13-point lead, and after a Conn free throw, senior forward Mariah Dunn (Meriden) drove down the middle for an uncontested layup that pushed the Eastern lead back to 14, 52-38, with 6:37 left.
In the first half, O'Brien was 3-of-5 from distance with nine points and she also handed out four assists and blocked two shots to spark the Warriors. In Eastern's early but decisive 10-2 run, Conn turned the ball over five times and missed all three of its shots on nine possessions.
Four Eastern players combined for points in that 10-2 spurt, with two players coming off the bench to make contributions. Dunn scored inside off an offensive rebound from six-foot senior All-America Anna Barry (Andover) after Dunn missed two free throws, O'Brien swished a three-pointer from the left side to make it 13-8, sophomore post Taylor Salato (East Haven) came off the bench to score inside off a pass from senior guard Julie Keckler (Trumbull) following a Conn turnover, and sophomore guard Kya Mayo (Middletown) hit a free throw and closed out the quarter when she turned another Camel turnover into a bucket.
Barry reached doubled figures for the seventh straight game and recorded her third double-double with 18 points and a career-tying 18 rebounds. She also had five assists and two steals.
Dunn finished in double figures for the first time since the season-opener, with ten points. O'Brien totalled nine points with her three first-half three-pointers, Keckler had nine points and six rebounds and Serrantino eight points and a season-high eight rebounds.
As a team, the Warriors shot 69 percent from the foul line for the second straight game. They were 16-of-23 to improve their season percentage to 71 percent, with Barry and Keckler combining to sink ten of 13 attempts. Keckler ranks second all-time in career free throw percentage and is 16-of-18 this year (88.9 percent).
Eastern visits Smith College in a non-conference game Thursday at 6 p.m. before opening its Little East Conference season Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Boston at 1 p.m.