End of First Quarter Run Sets Owls Up Well in 72-43 Victory

KEENE, N.H. – Sophomore forward Kenzie Durnford and first year guard Valerie Luizzi combined to score 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting as the Keene State College women's basketball team ran out to a 10-point lead after one and ultimately had no trouble with Plymouth State University, downing the Panthers 72-43 in Little East Conference action Wednesday night at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Records

• Keene State:  3-5, 1-1 LEC
• Plymouth State:  4-4, 0-2 LEC

How It Happened
The Panthers doubled up the Owls 10-5 over a five-minute stretch in the first quarter after allowing the first four points, but KSC outscored them 11-0 over the final 2:27 of the period to take a 10-point lead and ultimately never relinquished control after that as they improved to 3-0 at Spaulding Gymnasium this season, scoring over 70 points in each home contest.  After falling into the double-digit deficit after one, Plymouth briefly clawed back within 23-17 at the 6:51 mark of the second quarter on a jump shot by Jalen Cook, but Aryanna Murray responded with a three for KSC 18 seconds later and, after Cook missed a three try of her own, Murray found Kenzie Durnford with a nice pass underneath the basket for a 28-17 Owl lead with 5:46 left until halftime.  Plymouth twice got within nine over the remainder of the quarter, but jumpers from Lilly Krysinski and Luizzi in the final two minutes put KSC in front 34-21 at halftime, and Keene State pulled away in earnest in the third quarter, opening with an 8-3 run that included triples from Durnford and Luizzi for a 42-24 lead at the 6:44 mark.  PSU shot a game-worst 3-for-17 in the third and was outscored 19-11, facing a 53-32 deficit entering the fourth after a buzzer-beating three from Kate McAvoy.  KSC made as many threes (3-7) as Plymouth had made field goals total in that quarter, and also went 6-of-8 at the free throw line (after a 3-for-7 showing in the first half) to tack on eight more points to their halftime lead.  The Owls had shot 43 percent (13-for-30) in the opening half and 5-for-13 from long range in the opening 20 minutes.

Krysinski scored four straight points in the opening two minutes of the fourth quarter to push the KSC edge to 57-32, and a threes from Durnford and Elizabeth Gonyea less than a minute apart with a little more than five minutes to go had the Owls up 63-36.  Gonyea went 4-for-4 at the line shortly thereafter to provide Keene State a game-high 29-point advantage (67-38) with 4:02 left, and it was ultimately more of the same in a series where the Owls have won the last five meetings, 26 of 31 all-time at home, and 43 of 56 overall.   The last four victories are all by at least 25 points.  Plymouth had entered conference play coming off a pair of wins against Thomas College and at New England College, but dropped their LEC opener at home to Western Connecticut State University 66-45 on Saturday before being soundly beaten again tonight.  Their 43 points scored was their second-lowest total of the season.

Meanwhile, for Durnford, who finished with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting (including 2-3 3-PT, 2-2 FT), it was another efficient effort.  She is 9-for-12 from the floor and 5-for-7 from three-point range in her last two games, scoring 25 points.  On the season, she is shooting 45 percent overall and 10-for-26 (39 percent) from three.  Luizzi added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, 2-of-5 from deep, five rebounds, and three assists.  The Colchester, Conn. native has scored 38 points over the last three games and shot 8-for-18 from three while also adding 13 rebounds and five assists as she continues to settle in as a first year guard for a young Owls team, scoring in double-figures in five of eight games so far.  Murray finished with 12 points (2-5 3-PT), five rebounds, and three assists while Elizabeth Gonyea rounded out the Owls' double-figure efforts with 10 points (2-7 3-PT, 4-6 FT).  Rylee Burgess grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds as KSC pummeled Plymouth 54-32 on the glass including 20-9 on the offensive end.  Samantha Lee grabbed eight boards and Durnford seven.

Plymouth was paced by 17 points from Sophie George, but she was limited to 6-for-19 shooting and was the only Panther in double-digits.  She tossed in four rebounds and four assists.  Cook finished with nine points, but on 18 shots (3-18).  Olivia Howard also had nine, shooting 4-of-5 from the floor and making her only three.

Inside the Paint

• The Owls received 27 points from their reserves as beyond Gonyea, Krysinski finished with eight points, McAvoy five, and Lee four.
• KSC is holding opponents to just 33.7 percent shooting from the field overall on the season and 22.4 percent from three-point range.  Two of their last three opponents have been limited to fewer than 50 points, and the Owls have let only one opponent (Williams College) shoot 40 percent against them – and in that game the Ephs still scored only 48 points.
• Keene State has outscored opponents by 4.2 points per game on average when Durnford has scored in double-figures over her career, which has now happened nine times (four this season).
• The Owls' 10 threes as a team surpass their previous season-high of seven done three times, and are the most they have made since making 10 (on 44 tries) in a 59-43 home win over Norwich University on March 14, 2021.  KSC had made 18-of-43 against the Cadets the day before in Northfield, Vt., winning 80-58.

Up Next

• Keene State hosts preseason LEC favorite Rhode Island College (6-2, 2-0 LEC) on Saturday, December 10 at 1:00 p.m.  The Anchorwomen have won five straight since a 28-point home loss to Babson College, including a 63-37 blowout of the University of Southern Maine in conference action tonight in Providence.  RIC led 21-6 after one and limited the Huskies to 21 percent shooting.  The Owls will look to end a nine-game slide against Rhode Island College, who won last year's conference tournament title before falling to St. John Fisher University 55-52 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.  RIC won last year's meetings 55-45 and 61-53, the latter coming in Keene.
• Plymouth visits Eastern Connecticut State University (6-3, 2-0 LEC) on the same day at 1:00 p.m.  The Warriors have won six of seven since an 0-2 start (losses to Babson and Trinity College), including a 65-43 decision at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth tonight.  The Panthers have not beaten ECSU since 2012, losing the last 20 meetings.  The most recent nine have all been by double-figures.