WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Madison Medbury scored 19 of her team-high 23 points in the second half – including consecutive key three-point field goals that shifted the momentum – to lead the Rhode Island College women's basketball team to a 64-58 Little East Conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Wednesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasiium.
Rhode Island's (18-6, 13-2 LEC) sixth straight win over Eastern (10-14, 9-6 LEC) – coupled with conference leader Massachusetts Dartmouth's 71-61 road loss at Keene State College – moves the Anchorwomen – a winner of ten of their last 11 -- into a tie for first place with the Corsairs with one LEC regular-season game remaining. With a win over visiting Keene State Saturday, the Anchorwomen would finish with no worse than a share of a fifth straight regular-season title. If RIC and UMass Dartmouth finish in a tie for first, the Corsairs would be awarded the No. 1 tournament seed based upon its two wins over RIC this year. Both RIC and UMass Dartmouth are guaranteed first-round byes in the tournament, which gets underway with first-round games Tuesday.
Having guaranteed itself a first-round LEC tournament home game by winning its previous three games, Eastern will unofficially be awarded the No. 4 tournament seed and will host fifth-seeded Keene State Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Warriors would earn the No. 4 seed over Keene if the two teams share fourth place, based upon their two regular-season wins over the Owls.
Medbury, third in the conference in scoring behind Brynn Rautiola of Keene and Eastern senior forward Taylor Salato (East Haven), was 7-of-14 from the floor in scoring 19 of her team's 36 second-half points. In addition to her team-high point total, the 5-foot-6 inc senior guard grabbed nine rebounds, stole the ball six times and handed out five assists.
With Eastern leading by two points with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, Medbury forced the sixth and final tie with an inside bucket, then nailed consecutive three-point field goals that shot the Anchorwomen into the lead for good, 45-39 with 70 seconds left in the quarter.
Trailing by four after three quarter, Eastern could get no closer. After Eastern first-year point guard Liv Cassesse (Wallingford) converted a three-point play to make it 48-44 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, Medbury scored in the point and 6-foot-1 inch Angelina Nardolillo grabbed an Eastern miss, then pulled down two of her own missed shots to finally connect and make it an eight-point, 52-44 game with eight minutes left.
The Anchorwomen dominated with a +17 advantage on the boards (29-10 in the first half), including 22-6 on the offensive glass (13-0 in the first half) that led to 13 second-chance points.
Neither team led by more than four points in the first quarter. Five consecutive points from Meagan Schuermann gave the Anchorwomen a six-point lead with three minutes left in the first half before the Warriors surged back, taking a two-point lead on Salato's inside basket late in the third quarter before Medbury canned her two straight three-pointers to make it 45-39 in the final minute of the quarter.
Schuermann had 22 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, with Nardolillo adding 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Salato led Eastern with her fourth straight double-double, scoring a game-high 25 points on 11-of-19 field goal shooting and adding a team-high ten rebounds. Sophomore forward Marissa Nudd (Colchester) scored ten of her 14 points in the second half and Cassesse added eight points (in the second half) and six rebounds.
Eastern winds up the regular season Saturday at Plymouth State University (4-19, 1-14 LEC) at 12:30 p.m. at Foley Gymnasium.