Box Score KEENE, N.H. – Senior guard Jordyn Nappi (Southington) completed a perfect 13-of-13 night from the foul line with the tying and go-ahead free throws with 2.7 seconds left to lift the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team to a 63-62 Little East Conference victory over Keene State College Wednesday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.
With its seventh straight LEC win after an opening loss, Eastern (12-5, 7-1 LEC) retains a one-game lead in the conference standings with its 11th victory over Keene State (11-7, 5-3 LEC) in the last 12 meetings and seventh straight over the Owls at Spaulding Gymnasium. With six LEC regular-season games remaining, Keene falls two games back of Eastern.
Keene tied the game with 20 seconds left on a left-side drive by Lydia Vital and a steal by Sandi Purcell set up Vital's go-ahead free throw (62-62) with 7.3 seconds left. Vital missed the second attempt and after senior center Lexis Foster (Groton) grabbed the rebound, Nappi was fouled on an inbounds pass from senior guard Julia DePoi (Brookfield) with 2.7 seconds left. With Eastern in the two-shot bonus over the last six minutes of the quarter, Nappi swished her 12th and 13th consecutive free throws to make it 63-62.
Keene senior Stephanie D'Annolfo's clean turnaround left-handed jumper from the left side off an inbounds pass from freshman Kenzie Bennett as time expired hit the front of the iron and DePoi collected the rebound to ensure the team's first one-point victory of the season.
Nappi led all players with 19 points, senior forward Kelsey Santagata (Stamford) finishing with 16 points and six rebounds, and DePoi 14 points (13 in the first half). Foster had six points, seven rebounds (all in the second half) and five blocks.
Santagata, who appeared in eight games at Keene during the first semester of her freshman season two years ago, had a big fourth quarter. Her three-point field goal from the top of the circle pushed the Warriors into a one-point lead, 60-59, with 2:28 left. She also sank the back end of a two-shot foul with 32.5 seconds left that pushed Eastern into its brief two-point lead until Vital tied the game.
Vital netted 12 of her 16 points in the second half and her total was matched by D'Annolfo. Senior Amanda Petros, whose fifth personal foul sent Santagata to the line with 32.5 secondsd left, led all players with 12 rebounds, D'Annolfo adding rdayten.
Eastern hosts Rhode Island College Saturday at 1 p.m.
