KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State women's basketball team looked to avenge their loss earlier in the season to Western Connecticut State Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium. After KSC held the lead for the majority of the first three quarters, and WCSU outscored the Owls, 15-7 over the final 10 minutes and came back to take down KSC for the second time this season.

Records

• Keene State: 11-11 (7-7 LEC)
• Western Connecticut State: 7-17 (3-12 LEC)

How it Happened

The first 10 minutes of the game went back and forth, setting the tone of what to come the rest of the game. Keene State opened the scoring with Lily Krysinski hitting a layup a minute into the contest. Gabrielle Franks answered right back, knotting the score at two apiece two minutes later. Valerie Luizzi helped KSC get on the board, assisting on back-to-back possessions for the Owls, with Krysinski and Samantha Lee both making free throws. Both teams then traded threes over the next few minutes, with Nicole Peralta bringing the score to within a point for the Wolves, and Rautiola increasing the KSC lead back to four soon after. Over the final 1:19 of the first quarter, WCSU scored seven points, compared to three from KSC, another three-pointer from Rautiola, as the Wolves tied the game up at 12 heading into the second.
 
Keene State their highest scoring quarter of LEC play on the season during the second quarter against the Wolves, scoring 25 points from 10-13 (76.92%) from the field, 3-5 (60%) from three, and 2-2 from the line. WCSU took their first lead of the game 24 seconds in with Sydney Craig making a layup and converting the three-point play, to put the Wolves up. Both teams scored over the next three possessions combined, with Luizzi hitting a jumper and Rautiola hitting another three for KSC, to Maggie Nardini hitting a jumper for WCSU, as the score became 17-17 two minutes into the second. Following Rautiola's basket, the Owls would go on an 8-3 run over two and a half minutes, with Lee scoring four points to go with Krysinski and Rautiola each hitting a field goal, making the score 25-20 halfway through the second. WCSU answered right back with Nicole Vivian making a layup, followed by Francesca Foster converting a three-point play, tying the game up at 25 with 3:36 left in the half. Through the remainder of the quarter, KSC outscored WCSU 12-4, with the Owls hitting five of their six shots attempted. Over the span, Lee and Krysinski each made a field goal, followed by the next eight points coming from Rautiola, with a layup and a pair of three-pointers, with the second three beating the buzzer once again, putting Keene State up by what would be their largest lead of the game, 37-29.
 
Nardini opened the scoring in the second half with five points within the first three minutes for WCSU, bringing the Wolves to within three. Over the next two minutes, Luizzi hit a jumper and Rautiola hit a three pointer, for five consecutive points for the Owls. WCSU answered KSC with an 10-2 run over the next three and a half minutes, as Avery Stewart scored the only basket for KSC, while Vivian logged eight points and Franks scored the other two, tying the score up at 44 with 2:39 left in the third. Krysinski going 2-2 from the free throw line, combined with Rautiola making a layup with 29 seconds left gave KSC a 48-44 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
Although the lead had a second quarter to remember, only missing three of 13 shots, the fourth would be one to forget, as they would go 1-11 (9.1%) over the final 10 minutes of play. Krysinski's jump shot and a made free throw from Lee 1:36 into the fourth gave KSC a seven-point lead, but WCSU answered right back, outscoring KSC 10-0 over the next five minutes. Vivian scored five of the points, along with Franks scoring three and Nardini scoring a field goal to put the Wolves up by three. Right after Vivian's three that gave WCSU a three-point lead, Rautiola hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to one, but Franks hit another shot to push the lead back to three. After Vivian hit a free throw with 2:35 left, neither team scored until with 29 seconds left, Rautiola hit another pair of free throws to pull KSC within two. Unfortunately for the Owls, they were unable to hit any of their shots the rest of the way, as WCSU would hit two more free throws, making the final score 59-55. 
 
Inside the Paint

• KSC falls to 23-34 against Western Connecticut, all time, having lost three of the last four meetings, dating back to the 2022-2023 season. WCSU entered the day with only two LEC wins on the season, one of which came against KSC.
• Rautiola continues to tear up her freshman season, as she finished with 28 points today, more than half of the KSC points. She still sits in first place in the LEC in PPG, averaging 20.3, leading second place by 1.5 PPG. Rautiola's increase to 20.3 PPG is projected to put her back into the top 20 Division III scorers in women's basketball for PPG.
• Luizzi's seven assists are the most in a game for the Owls this season and tied for sixth most in a game in the LEC on the season.
• Rautiola's six three-pointers made (accounting of all six made for KSC in the game) are tied for the fifth most made in a game in the LEC on the season. She has made six of more threes in a game three times this season.
• KSC got out rebounded in the contest, 36-25 to the Wolves, with WCSU grabbing 10 offensive rebounds and scoring seven second chance points to two offensive rebounds for KSC, and no second chance points.
• Krysinski nearly logged a double-double, with 12 points and nine rebounds, before fouling out in the final minute.

 
Up Next

Keene State's next game will be their final regular season road game of their 2023-2024 season, as the Owls will travel to take on RV/No. 23 UMass-Dartmouth on Wednesday, February 14, at 5:30 PM. The Owls fell to the Corsairs, 81-55 in their meeting earlier in the season (1/17/24).
The Wolves next contest will be their 2023-2024 season finale, as they have not qualified for the Little East Conference Tournament, as they will host RV/No. 23 UMass-Dartmouth on Saturday, February 17, at 1:00 PM to wrap their season up. The Wolves fell to the Corsairs, 83-53, in their previous meeting on the season (1/13/24).