WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Looking to get above .500 for the first time during the 2021-22 season, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team took on Smith College for the first time in 38 years Thursday night at Geissler Gymnasium. After a 15-point first half performance from senior Julie Keckler (Trumbull) paced the Warriors (3-4), a balanced offensive and defensive attack in the second half by the Pioneers (6-1) resulted in the visitors pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 62-57 win.
 
Eastern led by one after one quarter but trailed by six at halftime and by three after three and couldn't make up ground in the fourth when it missed 15 of 18 shots and failed on four key free throws – after going a perfect 10-for-10 from the stripe through three quarters -- in falling to the Pioneers for the first time after winning the first two games in the all-time series.
 
While neither Smith nor Eastern played last season due to Covid, the Pioneers were coming off an NCAA Sweet 16 run in 2019-20, while Eastern won one game in the NCAA tournament two years ago. Smith returned four starters from that team, which would have faced Eastern in the Sweet 16 if 1. the Warriors had beaten Messiah College in the second round, and 2. if the remainder of the NCAA tournament had not been cancelled due to Covid.

 

The story of the first quarter was Keckler, the leading scorer in the Little East Conference (19.1), who scored the first nine points for the Warriors, hitting her first four shots to lead her team to an early five-point lead on the way to tying her career high with 25 points (15 in the first half). Smith responded with a 5-0 run on a three-pointer from sophomore guard Ally Yamada and layup by Ruffner to knot things up at nine. Ruffner ended up scoring the last six points for the Pioneers in the first quarter while an and-one opportunity by senior forward Aiyana Ward (Waterbury) and layup by first-year forward Taylor Salato (East Haven) resulted in a 14-13 lead for the Warriors after 10 minutes.
 
Keckler was the only Eastern player in double figures with her game-high total of 25 points, with her teammates combining for 32 points. Ward had a team-high nine rebounds along with seven points, while six-foot senior forward Anna Barry (Andover) had eight points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 1:56 remaining and the Warriors down by nine. The Little East leader in blocks added two to give her 11 in six games this year.
 
Thursday, the fourth quarter was controlled by the Pioneers as they continued to respond to the 6-0 run by Eastern with an 8-0 run dating back to a layup by sophomore guard Jessie Ruffner layup to take their largest lead of the night up to that point at nine points with 7:43 remaining. Smith extended its lead to ten with 1:56 remaining despite shooting just 4-for-12 from the floor before the Warriors attempted a furious comeback with a quick 8-2 run but were unable to pull even. Down the stretch, the Pioneers converted on 6-of-8 free throw attempts to seal Eastern's fate.
 
Without senior guard Jenna Serrantino (Cromwell) – third on the team in scoring and assists who missed her first start of the year with illness -- the second quarter was spearheaded by the duo of Keckler and Barry, which accounted for all 12 of Eastern's points in the quarter.
 
Leading by four with 2 ½ minutes left in the half, foul trouble by the Warrior defense helped lead to a 10-0 run for Smith, which started with a three-pointer by Yamada before four consecutive free throws by senior guard Dashelle Gleissner and Katelyn Pickunka allowed the Pioneers to take a three-point lead with 1:19 remaining. Another three by sophomore guard Amelia Clairmont put Smith  ahead by six, 32-26 heading into the locker. During the 10-0 Smith run, Eastern was 0-for-2 from the field with two turnovers to close out the half.
 
Coming out in the second half, the Warriors were again led by Keckler, who rattled off the first four points for Eastern to pull them within two less than a minute into the third quarter. In what became a battle between both teams where the Pioneers stretched their lead to as many as seven on two separate occasions, a jumper by junior forward Mariah Dunn (Meriden) would kick off a 6-0 run for the Warriors and featured another 4-0 run toward the end of the third by Keckler that made it a one-point game and allowed her to tie her career-high in points. Ruffner converted on a layup off a Dunn turnover in the closing 1:14 of the third to put Smith ahead 48-45 heading into the final frame.
 
Keckler was 9-for-19 from the floor, including 3-for-7 from distance, and sank all four of her free throws. In Serrantino's absence, junior guard Martha Chatman (Meriden) made her first career start, playing 27 minutes and recording four assists.
 
Clairmont came off the bench for a team-high 16 points in 21 minutes to lead three double-digit Smith scorers, with senior forward Katelyn Pickunka sinking all eight of her free throws – her team cashing in 14 of 18 attempts from the stripe in the game -- and finishing with ten points, ten rebounds and two blocked shots. Ruffner finished with 13 points and no turnovers in 26 minutes.
 
Smith held a +12 advantage in points off turnovers – with Eastern committing a season-high 22 -- and the Pioneer bench – keyed by Clairmont -- proved to be the difference when it finished with a 27-9 advantage in scoring. Three Eastern subs managed only nine points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes as four Eastern starters all logged more than 30 minutes.
 
Eastern opens Little East play Saturday against the University of Massachusetts Boston at Geissler Gymnasium at 1 p.m. The Warriors have won their last five matchups against the Beacons and 15 of their last 17 games dating back to the 2012-2013 season. Their latest win came in the Little East championship semifinals at Geissler Gym in 2019-20, 57-48. Barry led Eastern in that game with 25 points on 11-for-20 shooting with current senior guard Danielle O'Brien (Rockland, MA) close behind with 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting from three-point range.