WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Junior guard Danyelle Rodriguez (Willimantic) saved her best for last… again.

After sinking two three-point field goals in the final minutes to give Eastern a non-conference win over Westfield State Tuesday night, Rodriguez nailed a three-pointer with 2.6 seconds left in overtime Saturday afternoon to lift the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team to a 69-67 victory over Rhode Island College in the Little East Conference opener for both teams at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

At right: Jordyn Nappi gets inside position on RIC's Alex Moore to score two of her ten second-half points Saturday. (Photo by Liam Murphy)

Eastern (5-3, 1-0 LEC) trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half and by eight four minutes into the second, but tied the game with 6.8 seconds left in regulation, 59-59, on a lane jumper by freshman Jordyn Nappi (Southington) on a pass from junior forward Shannon McCourt (New Fairfield). Rhode Island went the length of the floor but threw up a three-point air ball at the end of regulation.

In one of her most dominant games in her two-year career, sophomore forward Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield) tied the game for Eastern at 66-all with an inside bucket with 35.8 seconds left in overtime. Michelle Lagrotteria sank the second of a two-shot free throw with 15.9 seconds left. 

After a timeout, Rodriguez inbounded the ball at half court and received a return pass from former high school teammate Taylor McBride (Willimantic)  at the top of the key. Rodriguez, scoreless in the second half, launched the long three over the arms of an RIC defender, swishing the game-winning shot with 2.6 seconds left.

Inbounding from half court and down by two, Rhode Island (3-4, 0-1 LEC) lobbed the ball inside to athletic 5-foot-8 inch sophomore forward Vandell Andrade, but Ritrosky leaped to knock it away from Andrade's grasp. Andrade chased the ball down on the end line as time wound down and hoisted up an off balance shot after retrieving the ball that drew air as the final horn sounded.

McCourt came off the bench to provide the Warriors with a huge lift before leaving the game 59 seconds into overtime after injuring herself attemping to rebound a missed shot by Andrade. After scoring three points in four minutes in the first half, McCourt  teammed with Nappi in the second, the pair combining for 22 of Eastern's 32 points. They were good on eight of 14 field goal attempts and were 6-for-6 from the stripe. McCourt totaled 12 points, Nappi ten. McCourt tied the game with eight minutes left on a jumper, and minutes later, vaulted the Warriors into a four-point, 53-49  lead with an inside basket, and a jumper off an RIC turnover. Her jumper with 2:19 left in regulation off an offensive rebound by Ritrosky gave the Warriors their last lead in regulation.

Ritrosky kept the Warriors close in the first half with a double-double (11 points and ten rebounds) and finished with 19 points (9-for-9 from the foul line) and a career-high 18 rebounds to lead all players in both categories. Nappi equaled her season high with 15 points and was 5-for-6 from the stripe to help the Warriors to a 17-for-18 showing.

Nappi and McCourt supported Ritrosky's game-high scoring total with 15 each, with Rodriguez chipping in eight – all after halftime. McBride handed out five assists and junior guard Kristina Forsman (Newington) had three assists, three steals and three rebounds.

Lagrotteria (15 points), Stephanie Prusco (14) and Alex Moore (12) combined for 41 of Rhode Island's points, with Andrade leading her team with nine rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.

Each team played without a sophomore starting guard: Brianna Leonard (Amherst, MA) of Eastern and Danielle LeBlanc of Rhode Island. Leonard is her team's second-leading rebounder and LeBlanc her team's second-leading scorer.

Eastern had lost three of four to Rhode Island entering the game, including last year's LEC tournament setback here which was the first by the Anchorwomen against Eastern in nine post-season games.

Eastern participates in the Las Vegas Hoopla Dec. 29-30, facing Gwynedd Mercy College and Marywood University (PA).