KEENE, N.H. - Sophomore Marissa Nudd (Colchester) and her game-high 24 points lifted the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team over Keene State College, 65-61, in a Little East Conference matchup Wednesday evening at Spaulding Gymnasium.
The Warriors (9-13, 8-5 LEC) had a 13-point lead in the second quarter before Keene (10-12, 6-7) battled back to cut it to one point in the final seconds of the game. Key free throws by Nudd and senior Taylor Salato (East Haven) sealed the game.
This win gives the Warriors a two-game lead over Keene in the conference standings for fourth place and a first-round tournament home game Feb. 25. Unofficially, one win in their final three regular-season games guarantees the Warriors no worse than the No. 4 tournament seed (Eastern gains the tie-breaker over Keene in the event of a tie due to sweeping the Owls.).
The University of Southern Maine (13-9, 9-4), idle Wednesday, remains in third place with a one- game lead over Eastern and hosts top-seeded UMass Dartmouth (20-2, 13-0 LEC) Saturday.
In its final three regular-season games, Eastern hosts VTSU Castleton Saturday at 3 p.m. and Rhode Island College Wednesday night before closing out at Plymouth State University Feb. 22 at Foley Gymnasium. With wins, the Warriors would sweep Castleton and Plymouth in the two-game set. Four-time defending LEC tournament champion Rhode Island defeated Eastern, 61-50, Jan. 22 at the Murray Center.
Against Keene, the Warriors led in all categories shooting 45 percent from the field and 40 percent from three on 6-15 shooting. Senior Kya Mayo (Middletown) had 12 of her 14 points from behind the arc. They also outrebounded the Owls 37-19 and went 11-15 (73 percent) for free throws.
Three three pointers and a layup by Nudd and Mayo to start the game gave the Warriors an early 11-4 jump over the Owls. Keene slowly chipped away at the deficit but was unable to reclaim the lead. Keene led only once, by two points in the opening minutes. Nudd also had seven rebounds and committed only one turnover in 36 minutes.
The conference's leading scorers, Salato (18.5 ppg.) and Keene sophomore Brynn Rautiola (19.4 ppg.) faced off for the first time this season. Rautiola did not play when the Warriors defeated the Owls, 62-54, at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium a month ago. Salato followed Nudd with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in 39 minutes, while Rautiola led Keene with 23 points in 40 minutes.
Nudd, Salato and Mayo combined for all but five of Eastern's points on 50 percent field goal shooting (21-of-42). The trio was 6-of-13 from distance. Sophomore guard Julia Knowles (Waterford) did not score from the floor in 39 minutes but had six rebounds and three assists.
A month ago, Eastern defeated Castleton, 78-66, at Glenbrook Gymnasium.