FORT LAUDERDALE – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter to erase a two-point deficit and went on to a 77-69 inter-regional victory over Millikin University Sunday afternoon at the Cruzin' Classic at  the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

While Eastern (3-5) was scoring the first 11 points of the fourth quarter over the first four minutes – getting two jumpers from junior post player Kelsey Santagata (Stamford) and sophomore reserve post player Tara Prochorena's (Colchester) only four points of the game – Millikin (4-6) was missing five shots from the floor and turning the ball over three times on its first eight possessions as the Warriors moved out to a 62-53 lead.

Behind 16 points each from Santagata and sophomore post Mya Villard (Cromwell), four Eastern starters finished in double figures. Sophomore guard Lizzy  Cretella (Cheshire) added 14 points and senior guard Kelly Reardon (Holyoke, MA) a season-high 12 points (3-of-5 from distance). Villard was 7-of-11 from the floor with a team-high eight rebounds and Santagata was 7-of-14 with six rebounds and career-highs of seven assists and four blocked shots before fouling out with eight seconds left.

In the decisive fourth quarter, Eastern was 8-of-16 from the floor and 9-of-12 from the stripe, turning the ball over only three times and outrebounding Millikin by +5.

Sophomore guard Julie Jordan (Sterling) the team's fifth starter, chipped in seven points, five rebounds and five assists. The Warriors' starting backcourt was guilty of only two turnovers in 95 total minutes.

The team's final point total was its highest of the season, its 47.5 percent field goal shooting its best since the season-opener and its ten turnovers the second-lowest of the season.

With Santagata and Villard limited due to three personal fouls each, post players Prochorena and senior Emily Menendez (Shelton) made key contributions off the bench in the second half. An extended cold stretch from the floor cost the Warriors an 11-point lead in the third quarter – Eastern did not score a basket over the final 7:30 of the quarter – as Millikin used an 18-5 run to take a two-point lead after three. Menendez accounted for four of the team's points in that stretch on free throws to keep Millikin from building a significant lead.

Prochorena opened the fourth quarter with her second bucket of the season to tie the game and ignite the 11-0 run. After Santagata buried a turnaround jumper from the top of the key, Prochorena then swished a corner two-pointer following a block and rebound from Santagata at the other end to make it 57-53.

In the second half, Prochorena and Menendez combined for eight points and four rebounds in 13 total minutes.

By connecting on ten of 24 three-point attempts, the Big Blue outscored the Warriors (4-of-11) by 18 points from three-point range but couldn't match Eastern's overall shooting percentage, finishing at 36.1 (22-of-61).

In a balanced attack, senior wings Devin Curry and Emily Schultz were two of Millikin's most effective players. Curry had a game-high 24 points (7-of-12 from long range) with six assists and five rebounds and Schultz 11 points and five rebounds. Both fouled out in the final minute after the Warriors had the game in hand. Six-foot-one inch senior Lauren Moses added nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds and six-foot freshman Jordan Hildebrand eight points and eight rebounds.

Playing its second game in as many days, Millikin lost for the fifth time in its last six games since a 3-1 start. It was the first meeting ever between the programs.

Eastern faces the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Monday at 4 p.m. at Fort Lauderdale.