WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Freshman guard Jordyn Nappi's (Southington) fifth three-point field goal of the game with just over a minute left gave the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team a five-point lead and the Warriors went on to post a 71-66 Little East Conference victory over Keene State College Wednesday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

At right: The Eastern bench responds to Jordyn Nappi's (far left) corner three-pointer that sealed the Little East victory. (Photo by Liam Murphy)

Coming off a career-high 23 point effort in Eastern's (12-4, 5-1 Little East) 75-64 victory over defending LEC champion University of Southern Maine Saturday, Nappi led four double-digit scorers against Keene State (8-7, 1-5 Little East) with a game-high 22 points. She was 8-of-16 from the floor, including 5-of-9 from three-point range.

The win allows Eastern to maintain a share of first place with Rhode Island College, which downed homestanding Western Connecticut, 53-44, Wednesday night.

A winner of eight of its last nine this year and seven of the last eight in the series with Keene, Eastern led by six points at halftime, but the Owls chipped away at the lead, finally moving out to their first lead at 43-41 midway through the second half.

Keene led by three with eight minutes left and had an opportunity to expand the advantage following an Eastern turnover, but an offensive foul gave the ball back to the Warriors, and Nappi nailed a three-point to make it 50-50.

Down by a point with six minutes left, Eastern took the lead for good on a jumper by sophomore forward Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA), and junior guard Taylor McBride (Willimantic) followed with two free throws after the viistors were whistled for another foul trying to re-gain possession on a missed shot.

After her final three-pointer with 1:09 left gave the Warriors a five-point cushion, Nappi added another jumper and a free throw as the Warriors extended their lead to six, 69-63, with  18.5 seconds left.

Keene entered play having won five of eight games this year away from home, but the loss was their fourth straight in the conference after an LEC-opening victory over Southern Maine Nov. 23.

Ritrosky, last week's LEC Player-of-the-Week, recorded her ninth double-double this year with 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore post Erin Brooks (Billerica, MA) added 12 points and a career-high six assists and sophomore guard Brianna Leonard (Amherst, MA) ten points, six rebounds and four assists.

The teams combined to sink 33 of 41 free throws. Led by Brooks (6-of-7), Leonard (6-of-8) and McBride (4-of-4), Eastern was 20-of-25 from the stripe. Keene was 13-of-16, with freshman forward Amanda Petrow (Methuen, MA) and sophomore guard Kelsey Cognetta (Stamford) both 5-of-6.

Keene's Petrow led all players with 16 rebounds and chipped in nine reobunds and commited only one turnover in 35 minutes. Cognetta finished with a team-high 15 points, freshman Jovan Kingwood (Norwalk) coming off the bench for 14 points and four rebounds.

Eastern visits Rhode Island College Saturday at 1 p.m. The Warriors edged the Anchorwomen,69-67 in overtime, in the LEC opener for both teams at Willimantic Dec. 7.