WILLIMANTIC, Conn. --  Top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University and sixth-seeded Massachusetts Boston will meet in the championship game of the Little East Conference women's basketball tournament for the second straight season.

Eastern (21-6) outscored fifth-seeded Massachusetts Dartmouth (18-9), 23-5 in the second quarter after scoring only five points in the first on the way to a 67-51 victory in the first semifinal at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium Friday night. In the second semifinal, UMass Boston (16-11) rallied past No. 2 Keene State College (22-5), scoring 34 points in the second half after trailing 25-17 at halftime to put behind it two regular-season losses at the hands of the Owls.

Eastern and UMass Boston will meet Saturday at 2 p.m. in the title game at Geissler Gym for the second straight year. Last year, the top-seeded Warriors needed overtime to dispatch the third-seeded Beacons.

Eastern Conn. 67, UMass Dartmouth 51

Eastern improved to 12-3 at home, gaining revenge for an overtime loss to the Corsairs two weeks ago at Geissler Gym. The Corsairs had a four-game winning streak snapped while Eastern won for the fourth straight time.

Junior guard Jordyn Nappi (Southington) of Eastern led all players with 20 points, senior forward Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA) adding 17 points, game-high 14 rebounds, and four assists, junior guard Julia DePoi (Brookfield) 11 points and five rebounds and junior center Lexis Foster (Groton) came off the bench for ten rebounds. Senior guard Victoria Pfohl (Trumbull) led all players with six assists.

UMass Dartmouth reeled off nine straight points early in the first quarter to move out to a six-point lead. Trailing 13-5 after one quarter, Eastern exploded for 23 points in the second quarter. Trailing 15-5, the Warriors outscored the Corsairs 14-2 to take over the lead at 19-17 on DePoi's three-pointer with four minutes left in the half.

Senior forward Beth Castantini (Newburyport, MA) led UMass with 15 points, junior forward Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, MA) adding 14 points before fouling out with 1:25 left. Three UMass players fouled out in the final 1:25, the Warriors outscoring the Corsairs by 15 from the foul line.

Eastern will be looking for consecutive LEC tournament championships for the first time ever.

UMass Boston 51, Keene State College 39

The Beacons submitted their second tournament upset in three days to reach the final for the second straight year after failing to making the title game through the first 28 years of the tournament.

After coming from 20 points back to stun No. 3 Western Connecticut, 70-62, on the road Wednesday, UMass  overcame a ten-point deficit after one quarter to later outscore Keene, 34-14 in the second half. In the second half, sophomore guard Grace Geary (Falmouth, MA) scored 14 of her game-high 22 points, with senior forward Olivia Murphy (Canton, MA) adding eight points and ten of her game-high 15 rebounds.

Keene was whistled for 15 more personal fouls than was UMass Boston, with three starters fouling out inside the final seven minutes. Led by Geary (11-of-12), UMB outscored the Owls by 15 from the stripe.

Geary overcame 4-of-18 field goal shooting with her marksmanship from the line en route to a game-high 22 points. She also had six rebounds. Murphy followed with 11 poiints and  sophomore forward Raven Kelsey (Boston) came off the bench for nine rebounds in 22 minutes.

Keene got 14 points from sophomore guard Sandi Purcell (Hudson, NH), nine points and nine rebounds from senior forward Ryanne Williams (Norwell, MA) and seven rebounds from junior forward Sarah Kober (Easthampton, MA) before she fouled out with 6:28 left.

Little East Conference
Women's Basketball Tournament
at Willimantic, Conn.

Friday - Semifinals

Eastern Conn. 67, UMass Dartmuth 51

UMass Boston 51, Keene State College 39

Saturday – Final

Eastern Conn. vs. UMass Boston, 2 p.m.