Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Senior forwards Erin Brooks (Billerica, MA) and Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA) combined for 27 points and 22 rebounds and the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team never trailed after the opening minute in a 64-53 Little East Conference victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
In a re-match of last year's LEC championship game played here and won by Eastern (10-4, 4-1 LEC), in overtime, the Warriors broke from the third and final tie of the game by scoring 13 consecutive points to move out to a 13-point, 19-6 lead seven minutes into the game. Ritrosky and junior guard Julia DePoi (Brookfield) led the charge as they combined for all but two of those points. Ritrosky also chipped in three rebounds, an assist and steal in that four-minutes stretch and DePoi had a steal and assist to go along with her seven points.
Eastern remains locked in a four-way tie for first place in the conference as all four leaders won over the bottom four teams.
At left: Head coach Denise Bierly displays the ball commemorating her 400th victory achieved Dec. 29, which was presented prior to the game. Presenting the ball are senior co-captains Jill Ritrosky (left) and Victoria Pfohl.
Ritrosky amassed her ninth double-double of the season (fifth in six games) and 38th in her 98-game career with game-highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 31.3 seconds left. Brooks had 11 points and ten rebounds. Junior center Lexis Foster (Groton) came off the bench for 11 points and nine rebounds, helping the Warriors outrebound UMass Boston (9-6, 2-3 LEC) by one after the visitors had built a +6 rebound advantage at the half. Junior guard Jordan Nappi (Southington) had ten points and four steals and DePoi nine points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists.
UMass Boston, which has dropped six of nine after opening the season with six straight wins, put together a modest six-point run in the third quarter to slice an 11-point deficit to five, 42-37, with three minutes remaining. Six-foot senior forward Olivia Murphy scored once inside, sophomore forward Raven Kelsey added a free throw and sophomore guard Katie Mathieu nailed her only three-pointer. The Warriors followed with five straight points of their own, however, Ritrosky completing a three-point play with a free-throw and Nappi converting a steal by DePoi into a driving layup.
Kelsey shared game-high scoring honors with Ritrosky with 16 points and also grabbed eight rebounds, with sophomore guard Grace Geary adding 13 points, five assists and five rebounds. Murphy led the Beacons with nine boards.
Eastern hosts Westfield State University Sunday at 6 p.m. in a non-conference makeup game from December 8.
