CASTLETON, Vt. – Eastern Connecticut State University's Big Three of senior Taylor Salato (East Haven), first-year sophomore Marissa Nudd (Colchester) and first-year player Liv Cassesse (Wallingford) combined for 66 points, 30 rebounds and 17-of-22 free throw shooting to pace the Warriors to a 78-66 Little East Conference women's basketball victory over VTSU Castleton Thursday afternoon at Glenbrook Gymnasium.
With its second win on its opponent's home court this year, Eastern (6-9, 5-1 LEC) moves into a second-place tie in the standings with idle Rhode Island College (10-5, 5-1 LEC) behind unbeaten leader Massachusetts Dartmouth (12-2, 5-0 LEC), each team with five LEC wins. Castleton (5-10, 1-5 LEC), coming off its first conference win of the year on Tuesday, had gained its first conference split with Eastern in in five years with a 65-39 victory over the Warriors last year at Geissler Gymnasium.
Eastern's final point total equals its highest of the season – matching its total in a season-opening five-point loss at Lasell University.
Thursday, Eastern never trailed after the first of Cassesse's three three-point field goals in the opening minute, took its first double-digit lead (18-8) on Nudd's follow-up basket off an offensive rebund with four minutes left in the first quarter, and pushed the led to 18 (58-40) when Cassesse drilled another three-pointer from the top of the key off a pass from Salato 20 seconds into the furth quarter.
After a 7-0 run (Nudd scoring inside twice and finding Leccesse open on the weak side for another three-pointer) that allowed Eastern to re-gain double-digit lead (31-17) three minutes into the second quarter, the Spartans got as close as five with two minutes left in the first half, but Salato hit a free throw, senior guard Kya Mato (Middletown) sank a corner three-pointer off a steal by Salato, and Cassesse drove the right side for two more points as Eastern carried a nine-point, 40-31 lead into the half.
Nudd's scoring drive down the left side of the lane off a pass from Salato in the opening minute of the second half pushed the last back to double digits at 42-31, and the Spartans got as close as nine only once thereafter.
Salato, last week's LEC and New England Player-of-the-Year, finished with her sixth double-double (27/12) of the year, Nudd (19/10) her first (on the strength of her career-high rebound total) and Cassesse scored a career-high 20 points to go along with eight rebunds. Salato was 7-of-10 from the stripe, and Nudd and Cassesse each 5-of-6. The trio also played all but ten minutes in the game.
Free throw shooting was one of the keys to the game, with Eastern – the LEC leader in that category -- converting 17-of-24 and Castleton – ranked eighth of nine teams -- only 9-of-17.
Junior guard Stasia Epler of Castleton led her team with 21 points while junior forward Emily Dingmon, who totalled 44 points and 25 rebounds en route to LEC Rookie-of-the-Year honors last week, was limited to 12 points (3-of-13 FGs) and nine rebounds. She was matched in points by junior guard Maggie McKearin.
Eastern hosts Plymouth State University (3-11, 0-6 LEC) Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern leads the all-time series, 73-11 but had a 23-game winning streak stopped in last year's 63-55 home loss to the Panthers. The Panthers are coming off Thursday's 65-58 home loss to Massachusetts Boston, their ninth loss in the last ten games.