WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team won its fifth straight game by limiting its opponent to under 50 points for the fifth straight game, posting a 64-49 Little East Conference decision over the University of Massachusetts Boston Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
A winner of 14 of its last 16 games after losing its first two, Eastern (14-4, 8-1 LEC) captured its fifth straight home game. The Warriors remain in second place in the conference, a game back of unbeaten LEC leader Rhode Island College and 1 ½ games ahead of idle University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. UMass Boston (10-9, 3-6 LEC) entered the game in sole possession of sixth place (the final LEC tournament spot) but now shares that position with the University of Southern Maine, which defeated Keene State College Saturday.
In completing the regular-season sweep of UMass Boston for the fourth straight year, Eastern climbed out of an early nine-point hole a minute into the second quarter behind the off-the-bench play of sophomore forward Taylor Salato (East Haven). Salato, who played only three minutes in the first quarter, hit all three of her second-quarter shots and grabbed five rebounds as the Warriors moved three point in front by the half.
Eastern added seven more points to its lead in the third quarter and took a ten-point lead into the fourth. UMass Boston shot 60 percent from the floor in the third quarter but the Warriors were 8-of-11 from the foul line (Salato was 4-of-4) to offset 38 percent shooting from the floor. Salata and senior guard Julie Keckler (Trumbull) each had six points in the quarter and Salato and senior All-America Anna Barry (Andover) each had three rebounds and Keckler two steals.
The Warriors out-rebounded the Beacons by 11, outscoring UMass by 11 on second-chance opportunities.
Keckler became the 14th player to score 1000 career points under 29th-year head coach Denise Bierly when she canned her only three-pointer of the game with 1:52 remaining in the third quarter – giving her 11 points -- that boosted Eastern into a seven-point, 45-38 lead.
Barry led all players with 18 points, Keckler adding 14 and Salato 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 20 minutes. Making her fourth straight start, sophomore guard Kya Mato (Middletown) matched Salato with nine rebounds to go along with eight points, three assists and three steals, Keckler adding seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
UMass graduate forward Meg Dixon, needing 25 points for 1,000 in her career, had 11 points and ten rebounds. She had ten of her points and six of her rebounds in the first half. Senior forward Keriann Farina led UMass with 14 points, junior forward Sunny Green adding ten points and five rebounds.
Eastern hosts the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Wednesday at 5 p.m.