NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Smith College forced Eastern Connecticut State University into a season-high 27 turnovers and the No. 6 nationally-ranked Pioneers went on to a 66-55 non-conference women's basketball victory Thursday evening at Ainsworth Gymnasium.
Smith (6-0) used a 20-point second quarter and limited the Warriors to ten points to take a 32-25 lead into the break. Both teams shot 50 percent from the floor in the second quarter but the Pioneers sank all three of their three-point tries and added three points from the free throw line (Eastern did not attempt a shot from the stripe in the quarter).
Eastern (4-3) took its first lead of the second half with two minutes left in the third quarter, 41-40, on a pair of free throws from sophomore forward
Taylor Salato (East Haven) but Smith closed out the quarter with seven consecutive points, with six-foot senior Morgan Morrison nailing a three-pointer with 22 seconds left. The hosts made it nine consecutive points on junior guard Jessie Ruffner's jumper and moved out to a 49-41 lead before senior Eastern All-America
Anna Barry (Andover) grabbed a defensive rebound and scored at the other end to make it a six-point game.
Eastern got as close as five, 54-49, midway through the final quarter on another inside bucket from Barry. The final 11-point margin was Smith's largest of the game.
Eastern shot over 50 percent from the floor and improved its season free-throw percentage to 73.3 by converting ten of 11 attempts but its turnovers led to 20 Smith points.
Senior forward
Mariah Dunn (Meriden) led Eastern with 14 points – one shy of her season high. She was 5-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the stripe. Barry had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and senior guard
Julie Keckler (Trumbull) adding 11 points.
Eastern opens Little East Conference play Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Boston at 1 p.m. at the Clark Athletic Center. The Beacons (5-2) had a three-game winning streak halted Tuesday in a 73-70 loss at Emerson College. First-team All-LEC forward Meg Dixon had 26 points and 11 rebounds for UMass Boston in that game.
