RIC Scores 52 Points in Second Half; KSC to be No. 5 Seed in LEC Tournament

KEENE, N.H. – Third-ranked and unbeaten Rhode Island College made 15 threes and shot 50 percent while also outscoring the Keene State College women's basketball team 52-28 after halftime as they completed the first 16-0 conference season on the women's side since conference expansion, beating the Owls 91-51 at Spaulding Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.  KSC honored their three seniors – Jackie Alibrandi, Katie Sullivan, and student manager Kalie Moynihan – before the game.

Records

• Keene State: 25-0, 16-0 LEC
• No. 3 Rhode Island College: 11-13, 7-9 LEC

How It Happened
The Owls clawed back from a 14-4 deficit to get within 24-21 at the 7:06 mark of the second quarter following a pair of buckets from impressive rookie Brynn Rautiola, but things snowballed from there, as the Anchorwomen closed the half on a 15-2 run for a 39-23 lead.  The visitors then came out of the locker room and tacked on a 19-2 surge – making it in total a 34-4 burst – and that proved to be the difference in the game as they rolled to a perfect season, winning on average by 28 points a year after they reached the Final Four for the first time in program history.  RIC placed four in double-figures, led by Izabelle Booth's 19 points (6-13 FG, 4-9 3-PT, 3-3 FT) and 11 rebounds.  Olivia Middleton was 5-of-7 from deep and added 17 points, while Sophia Guerrier had 12 and Jeniyah Jones 10.  The Anchorwomen, who feature a deep rotation, finished with a season-high 15 threes on 36 attempts (42 percent) and shot 50 percent in the game including 53 percent in the final 20 minutes.  They turned 19 Owl turnovers into 26 points, registering a plus-20 in that category (KSC had six points off eight RIC miscues).

For KSC, a younger team, it was a regular season of learning and growth – none more than from Rautiola and sophomore Valerie Luizzi, who combined for 32 points on 4-for-8 shooting from deep and 10-of-12 at the foul line.  Both have been in the top 10 in the league in scoring.  Rautiola finished with 17 points (5-11 FG, 2-5 3-PT, 5-6 FT), four rebounds, and two assists while Luizzi had 15 points (2-3 3-PT, 5-6 FT), four rebounds, and four assists.  Samantha Lee added 10 points (4-5 FG, 1-1 3-PT, 1-1 FT) and six boards.  The Owls had a chance for a quarterfinal home game on Tuesday, but would have needed to pull off an upset this afternoon and have Eastern Connecticut State University lose at home to Plymouth State University (which did happen).  The Warriors, the No. 4 seed, will be KSC's opponent on Tuesday night in Willimantic.  The Owls crushed the Warriors by 31 points on February 7 at Geissler Gymnasium.

In the first meeting between KSC and RIC, the Owls were within six (34-28) at halftime, but were doomed by a tough third quarter that blew the game open.  Today, it seemed like it might be a similar score at halftime, but the hot-shooting of the Anchorwomen opened the game up before halftime.  For much of the first half, Keene State kept answering, as they used an 8-2 run to get within 16-12 with two minutes left in the first following a triple from Rautiola.  RIC scored the final five of the quarter and had a 24-15 lead with 8:46 left in the second following a triple by Middleton, but buckets on three consecutive possessions (one from Rautiola and two from Luizzi) made it a three-point game again.  The Owls had done a terrific job taking care of the ball up until that point, committing only two turnovers.  However, five miscues over the remainder of the half and 12 in the second half helped contribute to the flood gates opening, as RIC took 24 more shots (68-44) from the field because of that and a 39-24 rebounding advantage.  In total, KSC had 15 turnovers over the final 24:06.

Prior to the game, the Owls honored Alibrandi, Sullivan, and Moynihan in a Senior Day ceremony.  Alibrandi, who has been out for the season with an injury, was able to score a basket to begin the game in her final contest at Spaulding Gymnasium (KSC then let RIC score on the other end) and Sullivan had five points including a three.

Inside the Paint

• Rautiola ends the regular season leading the conference in scoring at 20.0 points per game (481 points total).  Luizzi is eighth on the league's scoring list.
• KSC has dropped 13 straight in the series, going from 11 games over .500 all-time against the Anchorwomen to two under.  The Owls had won eight of the previous nine prior to this losing streak.
• RIC was No. 2 in the NCAA Selection Committee's top 16 reveal this past Thursday and figures to be hosting games at The Murray Center in March in the NCAA tournament.

Up Next

• Keene State's quarterfinal at ECSU Tuesday night (February 20) will tip off at 6:00 p.m.  The winner will travel to face Rhode Island College on Thursday night (6:00 p.m.).