PLYMOUTH, N.H. – For the better part of two decades, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team could circle its date against Plymouth State University as a near-certain win.
This year, with the Warriors re-grouping after losing all five of last year's starters and the re-energized Panthers enjoying early success under a new coach, you could not do that, which made Saturday's 59-52 Little East Conference victory at Foley Gymnasium especially rewarding.
Although the Warriors never trailed after the opening two minutes, Eastern (6-10, 4-3 LEC) was never able to completely shake Plymouth (7-6, 3-3 LEC) before settling for its 41st win in the last 42 dates with Plymouth – 23rd straight.
With its third straight Little East road win, Eastern climbed a game over .500 in the conference for the third time and evened record on its opponent's court at 3-3. Plymouth, which won five of its first seven games this year under first-year head coach Curtis Arsenault, had a two-game winning streak ended after returning home after splitting six straight road games. Plymouth's seven wins are already its most in a season since 2018/19.
The Warriors opened a 12-point advantage after the first quarter, anticipating a comfortable victory away from home, but a rejuvenated Panther squad had other plans. Plymouth State mounted a comeback and got to within one point in the third quarter, but the Warriors were able to hold on for the narrow victory from the relentless Panthers.
Surrounded his year by an inexperienced cast, six-foot junior forward Taylor Salato (East Haven) continues to be a one-person wrecking crew for the Warriors. Salato, averaging a double-double (18.9 points / 10.1 rebounds) to date, had her sixth double-double of the season (she has missed four additional double-doubles by one rebound) with 30 points and 20 rebounds. She was 9-of-18 from the floor and her 12-of-14 marksmanship from the foul line improved her free-throw percentage to 81.8 (81-of-99). The 30-point performance was the second in three games for Salato, who averaged 25.7 points and 20.0 rebounds this past week.
First-year guard Julia Knowles (Waterford) had 13 points and eight rebounds as one of the team's starters who played at least 39, with first-year point guard Nevaeh Clark (Cromwell) adding ten points and nine rebounds. As a team, Easern collected a season-high eight blocked shots, with Salato, Clark and senior forward Emily Jeamel (Manchester) blocking two shots in 26 minutes in her first career start in place of junior guard Kya Mayo (Middletown).
The game marked the return of first-year forward Alyssa Paquette (Claremont, NH), a starter who had averaged over 30 minutes through the first five games. Saturday, the 5-foot-11 inch Paquette played 14 minutes off the bench with five rebounds, a blocked shot and steal in her first appearance since Nov. 26.
Eastern led by three at halftime behind 14 points and 13 rebounds from Salato and ten points from Clark. Knowles tossed in ten of her 13 points and grabbed five of her eight rebounds after the break. The Warriors moved out to a double-digit lead of 14 points in the final minutes of the first quarter behind a 10-0 scoring run. Salato had five of those points, Knowles three and senior guard Cara McGettigan (Southbury) two.
Junior Bri Wilcox led the Panthers, finishing just shy of a triple-double after recording 19 points.
Eastern hosts conference leader Rhode Island College Wednesday at 5 p.m.