KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State women's basketball team looked to continue their two-game winning streak against Little East Conference opponents on Tuesday against another LEC opponent in Eastern Connecticut State University. At the end of the 40 minutes of play, the Warriors would end the Owls' win streak, led by Taylor Salato, who tallied 35 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in the Warriors 62-59 win over Keene State.

Records

• Keene State: 6-6 (2-2 LEC)
• Eastern Connecticut State: 5-9 (3-2 LEC)

Postgame Interview (Coach Boucher)

How it Happened

After Samantha Lee won the opening tipoff for the Owls, leading to a layup for Brynn Rautiola soon after, the Owls would not score for the next six minutes, as ECSU tallied 11 points over the same span, eventually going up by what would be their largest lead of the game, in nine points, when up 11-2 on KSC with 5:22 left in the first quarter. Salato logged four points, while Nevaeh Clark logged five points of the 11 points for the Warriors. The Owls tried to pick up the pace as Lee was able to make a move in the post and hit a layup, followed by a made field goal for Rautiola, plus the made free throw on the foul drawn, to make the score 11-7. Both teams would hit field goals on each of their ensuing possessions, as Julia Knowles hit a jump shot for the Warriors, while Rautiola scored the final points for the Owls in the first 10 minutes of play, with 1:59 left. Clark logged two more points in the final minute to increase ESCU's lead to 15-9 heading into the second quarter.
 
The Owls' offense came alive during the second quarter, as they scored 23 points, tied for their most points in a quarter against an LEC opponent this season (Vermont State Castleton in the third quarter on January 3). The Owls opened the second quarter on a 9-4 run over the first 4:33 of play in the second quarter, as Lee hit a layup, followed by Rautiola scoring the Owls' next seven points, coming from a three-pointer, a pair of free throws, and a layup to cut the Warriors' lead to two. Following a made free throw from Salato, Lee and Avery Stewart would both made layups on back-to-back possessions, giving the Owls a one-point lead with just under four minutes remaining in the half. In the final three minutes of the second quarter, both teams combined for 16 points, with the Owls outscoring the Warriors, 10-6. Salato netted all six points for the Warriors over the span, with a pair of free throws and a pair of layups, while Valerie Luizzi and Jackie Alibrandi each scored five points each, both hitting a three-pointer and making a field goal, giving the Owls a 32-27 lead heading into the half.
 
Keene State's third quarter seemed nearly the opposite of their second quarter, as the Owls were held to only eight points over the 10 minutes of play in the third quarter, compared to 14 from the Warriors. Both teams scored in the first minute of the quarter, as Salato and Alibrandi each him a field goal for their teams. Two more baskets from the Warriors cut the lead down to one before Luizzi made a layup, followed by Rautiola making a free throw shortly after, to increase the lead back to four. Salato answered with six more points of her own, to put Eastern Connecticut up a pair. With just over two minutes remaining in the quarter, Rautiola gave the Owls the lead again, hitting a three-pointer, but Clark answered with a field goal of her own, giving the Warriors a one-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
 
The Warriors opened the scoring in the final quarter, after Knowles grabbed the offensive rebound, Salato hit a jump shot soon after, although Stewart made a layup soon after to keep ECSU's lead to one early in the fourth. ECSU scored on their next four possessions, compared to the Owls scoring on only three of their four, as the Warriors increased their lead to four with 5:45 left in the contest. 21 seconds after the Warriors increased their lead, Alibrandi hit a three-pointer to cut it back down to one point, but Clark answered with a three-pointer of her own, 30 seconds after. Alibrandi scored four points over the next four minutes, while Salato added six more of her own points, increasing the ECSU lead to six, with 1:41 left to play. The Owls were trying to mount a comeback as Rautiola made a layup and drew the contact for a foul and hit the free throw attempt, pulling to within a three-pointer. Salato was not going to let that happen easily, as on the ensuing possession, she banked a layup off the backboard and in with just under a minute left. Answered right back on the ensuing Owls' possession, scoring a layup with 48 seconds left. With 24 seconds left, Salato missed a jumper that would have pushed the Warriors' lead to a two-score lead, but Lee blocked the shot and grabbed the rebound, hoping to give the Owls the last shot they would need, to potentially tie the game up at 62 a piece. On the offensive half of the court for the Owls, they were finally able to get the ball in to Rautiola's hands, but she was never able to get a clean shot off, as she was swarmed by the Warrior defense, forcing a turnover, and ending the Owls' two game win streak over LEC opponents.
 
Inside the Paint

• Rautiola has 82 points over the last three games and is now second in the Little East Conference in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game (five more than the next closest rookie).
• KSC allowed the Warriors, a 38 percent shooting team who was coming off a 30-point loss in their last outing, to shoot 49 percent – the second highest opposing field goal percentage they have allowed this season.
• ECSU had a 38-24 rebounding edge and a 13-8 advantage in second chance points.
• Keene State shot a combined 7-for-29 (24 percent) in the first and third quarters, and 16-for-34 (47 percent) in the second and fourth.  However, aside from a 3-for-5 effort from three in the second quarter, they were otherwise 3-for-19 – hurting their efforts to extend a 32-27 halftime lead.
• The Owls have lost 11 straight in the series, not having beaten ECSU since the 2017 conference tournament championship game.

Up Next

Keene State will have one day of rest before their next game, where they will hit the road and travel to take on LEC opponent Western Connecticut State on Thursday, January 11, at 3:00 PM.
Eastern Connecticut will also only have one day of rest, but their next game will be at home against LEC opponent Vermont State Castleton on Thursday, January 11, at 5:00 PM.