WILLIMANTIC, Conn. –    Undermanned Castleton University raced to a ten-point lead midway through the first quarter and played the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team on close to even terms until shooting 3-of-16 from the floor in the fourth quarter that allowed the Warriors to post a 66-51 Little East Conference victory Monday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
 
Eastern (11-8, 8-2 LEC) missed five shots and turned the ball over three times on its first nine possessions as Castleton (9-7, 2-5 LEC) raced to an 11-1 lead out of the blocks. The Spartans led by eight after one quarter before the Warriors sank their first seven shots of the second quarter and posted consecutive 17-point quarters in the second half to pull away for their fifth straight win. In a span of five minutes beginning in the first minute of the second quarter, Eastern was 8-of-12 from the floor and forced three turnovers in an 18-3 scoring spree where Castleton missed six of seven shots.
 
Despite employing only six players due to illness and injury, Castleton trailed by only six after three quarters but missed 13 of 16 shots (1-of-10 from distance) over the final ten minutes that allowed the Warriors to remain 2 ½ games behind conference leader Rhode Island College.
 
Eastern appeared to have subdued the Spartans in building an eight-point lead early in the third quarter but Castleton outscored Eastern 12-3 and took what proved to be its final lead, 42-41, with three minutes left in the third. The Warriors, however, regained momentum by ending the quarter on a 8-1 run – fueled by senior guard Julie Keckler's (Trumbull) five points and assist – to take a six-point lead into the final quarter.
 
While the Spartans struggled from three-point range in the fourth quarter, Keckler, senior forward Anna Barry (Andover) and junior guard Martha Chatman (Meriden) combined for 15 of Eastern's 17 points and Barry grabbed seven rebounds to help the Warriors to a +8 advantage on the boards over the final ten minutes.
 
Barry recorded her sixth double-double in the last nine games with 22 points and a career-tying 16 rebounds. The LEC leader in field goal percentage (53.8) and blocks (31), Barry was 10-of-14 from the floor and  also blocked two shots. Keckler scored 12 of her 20 points in the second half, finishing 8-of-19 from the floor and handing out four assists. After managing only 15 three-pointers through the first 16 games, senior guard Danielle O'Brien (Rockland, MA) totaled three against Castleton to give her eight in the last three contests. She also blocked three shots and is second only to Barry with ten on the season.
 
Freshman guard Ryleigh Colouotti played all 40 minutes and led Castleton 20 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebound. Graduate guard Kelly Vuz added 16 points and six rebounds and junior guard Elise Magro had ten points and four steals and played all 40 minutes as well. Magro, Vuz and Coloutti are all ranked among the top seven in the conference in scoring.
 
Eastern hosts Keene State College Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the back end of the LEC home-and-home series. Eastern won at Keene, 56-27, last Monday.