WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team scored the first ten points of the second half to erase Western New England University's two-point halftime lead and went on to its third straight win, 71-63, Tuesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
 
Senior guard Julie Keckler's (Trumbull) three-point field goal cut Western New England's (1-5) five-point lead to two at the break, and Eastern (3-2) scored on its first four possessions of the second half while the Golden Bears missed two shots and turned the ball over once on their first three possession as Eastern moved out to an eight-point 43-35 lead just 1:30 into the half.
 
In that 10-0 burst to open the second half, six-foot senior All-America forward Anna Barry (Andover) scored twice inside – setting up the second bucket with a steal – then grabbed a defensive rebound that set up senior guard Danielle O'Brien's (Rockland, MA) three-pointer. Senior forward Mariah Dunn (Meriden) closed out the ten-point spurt by converting a conventional three-point play that made it 43-35.
 
The Golden Bears trimmed an eight-point deficit to four by the end of the third quarter but missed three shots – including a potential game-tying three-pointer three minutes into the fourth quarter – while trailing by only three. A pair of free throws by senior forward Lindsey Carey again pulled WNE to within three with 3:25 left in the game, but Eastern answered with five straight points and outscored the Golden Bears, 9-4, the rest of the way that gave the Warriors their second straight victory over WNE in the series after losing three straight.
 
Keckler scored seven of Eastern's final nine points with four free throws and a three-point field goal and Barry sank two free throws.
 
Keckler matched her career-high with 25 points. She was 7-of-11 from the floor (4-of-4 from distance) and 7-of-8 from the line and also had five assists and four rebounds and just one turnover in 34 minutes. Barry had her second double-double of the young season with 16 points (7-of-12 FG) and a season-high 14 rebounds and contributed four steals and two blocked shots.

Eastern turned the ball over a season-low ten times, converted a season-high seven three-point field goals, and sank 18 of 26 free throws.

Senior guard Abby Garaban led WNE with 17 points (6-of-9 FG), with Carey adding 14 points without a turnover in 33 minutes. Sophomore guard Emma Kahn came off the bench for 13 points in 31 minutes and junior guard Colleen Furlong led her team with eight rebounds that helped the Golden Bears to a +4 advantage on the board (including a 10-3 margin in second-chance points). She also handed out five assists.

Eastern visits Connecticut College in a non-conference game Sunday at noon.