WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Junior forward Taylor Salato (East Haven) scored 18 of her game-high 29 points in the second half and senior guard Cara McGettigan (Southbury) helped the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team to a double-digit rebounding advantage with a career-high 11 rebounds as the Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak with a 62-49 victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston in the Little East Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

The win is the tenth straight in the series for Eastern (3-4, 0-1 LEC) and stops UMass Boston's (2-4, 0-1 LEC) modest two-game winning streak.

The Warriors led for all but four minutes in the game and broke from the game's fourth and final tie with a run of ten straight points that pushed them into a ten-point, 30-20 lead in the final minute of the first half.

In that key run over four minutes, Eastern got points from four different players. McGettigan sank a pair of free throws, first-year senior guard Shania Lewis (Brooklyn, NY) swished a jumper off a UMass turnover, Salato completed a conventional three-point play following a defensive rebound from first-year point guard Nevaeh Clark (Cromwell), and first-year guard Julia Knowles (Waterford) punctuated the burst with her first career three-point field goal on a pass from sophomore guard Riley Griffin (Middleborough, MA).

UMass was still within range – down by eight points -- after three quarters, but the Warriors never let the margin dip lower than seven. With Eastern leading by seven (54-47) midway through the fourth quarter, Salato connected on a pair of jump shot to make it an 11-point game, 58-47, with three minutes left.

Clark had nine of her ten points after the break when Eastern outscored the Beacons by eight. Clark (four assists) and Lewis each had seven rebounds  to helped the Warriors to their +11acvantage on the boards. Salato added five rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists in 38 minutes. The LEC leader in field goal percentage, Salato was 9-of-14 from the floor and 11-of-15 from the foul line.

UMass season scoring leader Keriann Farina was held scoreless in the first half and managed only two field goals (on four shots) and 11 total points as the only Beacon in double figures.

Eastern hosts the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Wednesday at 5 p.m.