KSC Sees 14-Point Lead Turn into Five Point Deficit Late, But Responds With Big Run

KEENE, N.H. – Sophomore Lilly Krysinski converted an and-one with 1:42 left to help the Keene State College women's basketball team retake the lead – this time for good – as the Owls used a 17-2 game-ending run to knock off Westfield State University 75-65 at Spaulding Gymnasium in the season-opener for both teams Wednesday night.

Records

• Keene State:  1-0
• Westfield State:  0-1

Highlights
Postgame Interview (Coach Boucher)
Postgame Interview (Lilly Krysinski)

How It Happened
Keene State did not trail for the first 32 minutes of the game, but seemed in danger of being dealt a tough loss after Westfield erased a 50-36 third quarter deficit and took a 63-58 lead with 2:57 left.  However, the Owls had different ideas, turning the tide in a hurry with 2:09 on the clock when Aryanna Murray hit a three to make it a one-possession game before Krysinski's offensive rebound that resulted in the bucket and free throw on the next possession that made it 64-63 KSC.  That was just the beginning of 15 consecutive points, 10 coming from the free throw line (on 11 attempts), as the home team made it a happy 2023-2024 season opener.  And they also did so by clamping down on the defensive end down the stretch.  Westfield had the ball down two as the clock ticked under a minute, but first year Brynn Rautiola, a Jaffrey native and Conant High School product, jumped the passing lane to grab a steal of Octaviana Williams, and Murray was then fouled and went two of two at the charity stripe for a four-point lead.  Strong defense from Samantha Lee on Westfield's next trip forced a miss from Jordan Grant, and she grabbed the board, which led to two more makes at the line for Krysinski and a 69-63 KSC edge.  Lee then stole the ball from Lindsey Bohenko with under 30 seconds left, and Rautiola was then fouled a few ticks later and made both free throws to push the lead to eight, all but sealing the decision despite Westfield's run-and-gun, pressing "Grinnell system" style of play that is designed to maximize possessions, scoring opportunities, and force turnovers.  It did pester KSC, particularly during the extended 27-8 burst that flipped the game on its head as the Owls turned the ball over 10 times and were only 3-of-18 from the field (KSC otherwise shot 44 percent in the game).  However, the Owls also bothered Westfield's offense quite a bit, forcing 28 miscues and piling up 18 steals (five more than WSU), including seven from Valerie Luizzi (6-13 FG, 3-8 3-PT, who opened the season with a strong showing and was one of three 15-point scorers to lead the team.  She also grabbed five rebounds.  Murray (3-7 3-PT, 4-4 FT) also had 15 points while adding six rebounds and three assists, while Rautiola made 7-of-8 at the foul line and tacked on four rebounds, three assists (with just one turnover), and three steals.  Jackie Alibrandi finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and five steals.

Westfield, who started four seniors and a sophomore and is coming off a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship game appearance in which they let a second half lead slip away, got a team-best 13 points and eight rebounds from Jordan Grant (5-14 FG).  However, the visitors were limited to just 32 percent shooting from the floor and were outrebounded 48-45.  Keene State also went 18-for-23 (78 percent) at the free throw line including 13-of-17 in the fourth quarter.
Early on, with big help from the three ball, it seemed there may not be a close finish, as KSC got a trey from Luizzi to begin pulling away from a 7-7 tie, eventually carrying a 19-12 advantage into the second quarter as Rautiola and Murray also connected from distance late in the first.  Westfield never got closer than six in the second, as Keene State continued to drain threes, including Avery Stewart's that made it 22-12 at the 8:50 mark.   Rautiola's second of the day a minute and a half later still had the Owls up nine, and Luizzi's with 5:52 left until the break made it 28-19.  Keene State took their largest lead of 13 (39-26) following a jumper from Rautiola and triple from Murray on back-to-back trips with about a minute left in the first half before carrying a ten-point (39-29) advantage into the locker room.

There was no Westfield surge right away in the third, as KSC pushed their lead to a game-high 50-36 four minutes in on consecutive layups from Luizzi.  Alibrandi hit another triple in that span as the Owls began the night 9-for-18 (50 percent) from the three-point line.  They cooled off after that, making only two of their final 17 tries to help aid Westfield's comeback.  However, just as it seemed the visitors took control, the Owls found other ways to close strong and open the season with a home win for the second time in three years.

Inside the Paint

• Rautiola made her collegiate debut, as did Anna Brown.  Sarah Moyer, a transfer from Palomar College, made her Owl debut.
• KSC finished 11-for-34 from three-point range, a total number of made threes that they only reached one time a season ago.
• Keene State leads the all-time series 9-6, including a 6-1 mark at Spaulding Gymnasium, scoring at least 75 points four times on their own court.  Westfield won last year's matchup 66-55 in Massachusetts.

Up Next

• Keene State travels to the Tyler Tip-Off hosted by Smith College this weekend.  They will take on the host and preseason No. 11 nationally-ranked (D3hoops.com) Pioneers on Saturday (November 11) at 2:00 p.m.  The teams have split four all-time meetings.
• Westfield State visits Plymouth State University (1-0, 0-0 LEC) on the same day (12:00 p.m.).  PSU won their season opener 71-29 over Vermont State University-Johnson on Wednesday.  Westfield dominated the Panthers 77-31 in last season's meeting.