Box Score
WILLIMANTIC, Conn.  – Following a 1-1 showing at the Oneonta & Hartwick Classic over the weekend, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team Warriors returned home to face Connecticut College in its last game at Geissler Gym until the new year, playing on even terms in the second half but unable to overcome a 17-point halftime deficit in a 65-46 non-conference loss.
 
The Camels (3-3) controlled the game from the opening tip, building up a 16-3 lead on the back of a 14-point run in the first quarter. A three-pointer by sophomore guard Liv Cassesse (Wallingford) gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead with 7:21 to go in the first, their only lead of the game.
 
Catherine Cole and Sydney Marshall were both involved in the strong opening quarter for Conn, but the Camels were able to rely heavily on their bench as the game developed. Junior forward Marissa Nudd (Colchester) led all players with 15 points in the contest, but bench points were 32-15 in favor of Connecticut College. Defensively, the Camels were aggressive all night, forcing 13 turnovers from the Warriors.
 
In the second quarter, Eastern was able to find more success offensively, with 12 of their 15 points coming from Nudd and Cassesse. First-year forward Katelyn Novak (Colchester) contributed with a couple of rebounds and a steal, but the Camels were still able to put up 20 points and take a 39-22 lead into the break.
 
While the Warriors showed better signs in the second half, Sofia Tavarez of Connecticut College put up a strong third quarter to keep the Warriors at bay. Her nine-point quarter off 3-5 shooting accounted for half of her team's points in the third, going 3-4 at the line as well. Heading into the fourth, the Warriors were still down by 20, unable to stop the Camels offense up to this point.
 
Eastern's defense was able to put together some stops and held Connecticut College to just 8 points in the final quarter. Allowing just 3 field goals in the fourth, the Warriors also had 3 steals and 3 blocks. All three of the Warrior blocks were credited to sophomore forward Isabella Romero (Peabody, MA) in the span of one minute. Three different Camels tried to test Romero in and around the paint, but the 5'10 forward stood tall to every test.
 
The Warriors shot just 28.8 percent from the field, compared to the Camels'  35.1. Connecticut College was able to hurt the Warrior defense from three, converting 8 of 24 on the day. The Camels benefited from 12 different point scorers, with 17 players seeing action.
 
In addition to her game-high point total, Nudd shared game-high rebounding honors with six. Cassesse had ten points, six assists and five rebounds and Romero eight points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Junior forward Alyssa Paquette (Claremont, NH)  grabbed five rebounds. First-year sophomore Trinity Angel (Killingly) scored her first collegiate points with five on 2-of-2 field goal shooting  in four minutes off the bench.
 
The Warriors begin a four-game stretch of road games starting next Wednesday, December 3 when they begin Little East Conference play at Western Connecticut State University. The 5 p.m. tip-off will give Eastern a chance to face a Little East opponent before the Williams College Shooting Touch Tournament on December 5th and 6th. The Warriors  face the 3-3 Wolves who are coming off a dominant 70-44 win against the University of Saint Joseph, an opponent that Eastern defeated in a pre-season scrimmage.