Box Score AMHERST, Mass. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team trimmed a 23-point deficit to four with seven minutes left before Amherst College recovered on the way to a 66-51 victory Thursday night at LeFrak Gymnasium.
Ranked No. 4 in the most recent USA Today Division III Top 25, Amherst (5-0) led by 19 points at halftime and by 23 less than two minutes into the second half before Eastern (4-3) used a 27-8 run over 11 minutes to make it a four-point margin, 52-48, with just under seven minutes left. At that point, the Warriors missed on three consecutive possessions, then turned the ball over on their next three, allowing the Jeffs to answer with eight straight points and re-gain a double-digit lead (60-48) with three minutes left.
Rated first in Division III in field goal percentage (52.4) and second in three-point marksmanship (50.0), Amherst was pressed into a 39.3 mark from the floor and 19.0 three-point percentage (4-for-21) but had enough to post its 101st consecutive home victory. Amherst is 212-18 in eight years and winner of a national championship under current head coach GP Gromacki.
After being limited to only seven first-half minutes due to early foul trouble, Eastern season scoring leader Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA) responded with 16 points and five rebounds in 16 second-half minutes to spark the Warriors back from 23 points down. Ritrosky began and concluded the 27-8 scoring run with inside baskets. She contributed 13 of her 16 second-half points in that run, completing a conventional three-point play with an inside hoop and free throw five minutes into the period that made it 47-32. Eastern converted ten of 17 field goals and commited only two of its game total of 19 turnovers in that 11-minute surge.
Ritrosky had her sixth double-digit game of the season with a team-high 20 points but was the only Eastern player in double figures. Ranked third nationally in rebound margin (+17.2), Eastern managed one more rebound than the hosts. Ritrosky led the way with seven, sophomore Julia DePoi (Brookfield) and senior Shannon McCourt (New Fairfield) adding six each.
Amherst, which had more blocked shots (13) than turnovers (11), got a game-high 21 points from 5-foot-10 inch sophomore guard Ali Doswell, her conference's Rookie-of-the-Year a season ago. Doswell also chipped in seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Junior forward Marley Giddins added ten points and a game-high 12 rebounds and had four of the team's 13 blocked shots.
Eastern hopes to shake off a three-game losing streak when it opens its Little East Conference season Saturday at 1 p.m. at defending regular-season and playoff champion Rhode Island College (currently 1-5 overall). Eastern is the conference coaches' pre-season favorite to capture the regular-season title.
