Box Score PHOENIX – Senior guard Danyelle Rodriguez (Willimantic) connected on both of her three-point field goals when the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team held SUNY Poly scoreless from the floor in a 12-2 run over six minutes late in the third quarter on the way to a 56-45 victory at the Arizona Shootout Tuesday afternoon at the Phoenix Convention Center.
The win for Eastern (6-3) -- playing its first game in more than two weeks – is the 400th for 22nd-year head coach Denise Bierly (400-191), the program's coaching leader in wins, games and seasons. Last year's North Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season champion, SUNY Poly (4-3) lost its second straight. Both teams were playing only their second road contests of the season.
SUNY Poly led only once and for less than 30 seconds and the Warriors took command midway through the second quarter with their 12-2 run over six minutes, limiting the Wildcats to two free throws in that stretch as they moved out to a 13-point, 47-34 lead in the final minute of the third quarter. In those six minutes, SUNY Poly blew five of seven free throws, all three of its field goal tries, and turned the ball over three times.
Eastern missed 14 of 17 three-pointers in the game, but Rodriguez nailed a pair in the decisive 12-2 stretch. The two long-range baskets wrapped around a SUNY Poly free throw. Senior forward Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA) also added four points and two rebounds in that run.
As a team, Eastern held SUNY Poly leading scorer Geena Gallo – last year's first-team All-NEAC forward – well below her season average of 16 points. Gallo was one of two SUNY players with nine points. She also grabbed eight rebounds in 26 minutes before fouling out with 3:35 left in the game and her team trailing by 13.
Ritrosky led all players with 13 points and shared game-high rebounding honors with ten on the way to her 34th career double-double. Ritrosky, who pulled down her 900th career rebound in the game, also led all players in the game with four assists and with three steals. Junior guard Julia DePoi (Brookfield) followed with 12 points and seven rebounds and junior center Lexis Foster (Groton) came off the bench for seven points (5-of-6 from the line) and ten rebounds in 21 minutes.
SUNY was 11-of-20 from the stripe and the Warriors turned the Wildcats' 19 turnovers into 19 points. Eastern's ten turnovers equaled its season low.
Eastern meets Worcester State University Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET at Phoenix.
