Box Score d3hoops.com feature
DANBURY, Conn. – Four days ago, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team shared the lead in the Little East Conference.
Following Tuesday night's disappointing 61-36 loss against Western Connecticut State University at Feldman Arena – the team's second conference road loss in four days -- Eastern (12-6, 5-3 Little East) finds itself sharing second place, two games behind Rhode Island College. Western (10-8, 4-4 Little East), which ended a three-game losing streak (the last two setbacks coming at home), breaks from a two-way tie for fifth place into a two-way tie for fourth place with Massahusetts Dartmouth, which was blistered by Rhode Island Tuesday, 72-43.
At right: Upon her return from a seven-week layoff, Shannon McCourt attracted a crowd Tuesday night.
Freshman guard Colleen Cosker and junior post Caroline Brasa sparked Western (10-8, 4-4 Little East), which seized the momentum early with a 14-4 run over seven minutes that gave it a ten-point, 18-8 lead.
With Eastern down by 12 at the half after shooting 20.7 percent from the floor, things got only marginally better in the second half. The Warriors shot ten percentage points higher but it wasn't enough to counter the Colonials, who shot 52.2 percent in the second half and cruised to the victory.
Freshman guard
Jordyn Nappi's (Southington) ten points were high for Eastern, with sophomore forward
Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA) leading all players with ten rebounds. After seven weeks sidelined with a shoulder injury, junior forward
Shannon McCourt (New Fairfield) played 19 minutes off the bench with four points and five rebounds.
Cosker was 6-of-9 from the floor en route to a game-high 15 rebounds. Brasa came off the bench for 12 points (6-of-8 shooting) in 20 minutes and senior forward Sciarra Brandt had seven points, seven assists and three blocked shots.
The Warriors collected a season-high 24 turnovers and their final shooting percentage of 25.5 was their second-lowest of the season.
Eastern hosts Plymouth State University Saturday at 1 p.m. in conference action.
