BABSON PARK, Mass. -- A three-week layoff did nothing to slow down the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team, which ran away with a 72-45 decision over Endicott College in the first game of the Babson College Judy Pearson'85 Memorial Tournament Friday afternoon at Staake Gymnasium.
In the first meeting between the programs in 12 years, Eastern (8-3) forced Endicott (3-6) into 27 percent shooting from the floor, in large part due to a 1-for-15 effort from behind the arc and just 10-of-17 shooting from the foul line. Leading by only one point after ten minutes, the Warriors limited the Gulls to single digits in the middle two periods and rolled into the final quarter with a 56-30 cushion that all but guaranteed Endicott its fourth straight loss.
During its current four-game winning streak which began after an 11-point loss at nationally-ranked Smith College Dec. 1, Eastern has won by an average of 23 points, scoring 65.5 and allowing only 42.8 points per contest.
Against Endicott, Eastern snapped the fourth and final tie of the game by reeling off ten straight points early in the second quarter that gave it a 28-18 advantage midway through the frame. Four players contributed to that spurt, with senior All-America
Anna Barry (Andover) twice scoring inside, senior
Mariah Dunn (Meriden) chipped in two inside points, and sophomores
Kya Mayo (Middletown) and
Taylor Salato (East Haven) each canning a pair of free throws.
Barry collected her sixth (third straight) double-double of the year with 12 points and a career-high 19 rebounds and Dunn added 14 points, Salato 12 points and seven rebounds and senior guard
Danielle O'Brien (Rockland, MA) 11 points. Barry's rebound total sparked Eastern to a +13 advantage on the boards.
A season-high 13 players saw time, the Warriors' bench players outscoring Endicott's substitutes, 27-9.
Eastern faces Middlebury College Saturday at noon on the second day of the tournament, looking for its first win over the Panthers in the four-game series. Middlebury (6-4) dropped a 60-51 decision to No. 9 ranked Babson College Friday that snapped a three-game winning streak, with Alexa Mustafaj scoring nearly half (23) of her team's points.
