Box Score
DANBURY --  Sophomore forward Marissa Nudd (Colchester) scored eight of her 14 second-half points to spark a run of 23 unanswered Eastern Connecticut State University points in the second half that powered the Warriors to a 72-61 Little East Conference women's basketball victory over Western Connecticut State University Wednesday night at Feldman Arena.
 
With its 13^th straight victory over WestConn (5-16, 3-9 LEC), Eastern (8-13, 7-5 LEC) snaps a four-game losing streak this year and improves its hold on fourth place in the conference , a game behind  the University of Southern Maine (12-9, 8-4 LEC), a game-and-a-half ahead of  Keene State College and two games ahead of sixth-place University of Massachusetts Boston for the sixth and final LEC tournament spot. Southern Maine downed host UMass Boston, 69-34 Wednesday while Keene was idle.
 
Trailing by four, 45-41 midway through the third quarter, Eastern got points from five different players in reeling off 23 consecutive points over ten minutes and closing the game with a 31-16 run that completed the two-game regular-season sweep of the Wolves. In a 67-56 win over WestConn at Geissler Gym a month ago, Eastern scored 43 first-half points for a 23-point halftime lead. Wednesday, the Warriors outscored the Wolves 42-25 in the second half, including a 26-9 in the third quarter that gave them an 11-point, 56-45 lead after three quarters that wiped out a six-point halftime deficit.
 
Behind Nudd in the 23-point scoring run, first-year point guard Liv Cassesse (Wallingford) had six points, senior guard Kya Mayo (Middletown) sank one of the team's nine three-pointers on 22 tries (the Warriors were 4-of-22 from distance in their last two games), senior forward Taylor Salato (East Haven) was 4-of-4 from the foul line, and sophomore guard Julia Knowles (Waterford) chipped in a basket.
 
While Salato and Nudd managed only six first-half points on 3-of-9 shooting, Mayo kept the Warriors close with 11 of her game total of 14 points in a first half where Eastern surrendered early leads of 11-3 and 17-10.  It was Salato who pulled the team even at 38-38 two-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter by scoring the team's first eight points on a pair of conventional three-point plays and an inside basket.
 
After a pair of free throws by Salato (which ignited the 23-0 run), a steal and layup by Cassesse tied the game for the final time, 45-45 at the halfway point of the third quarter, and two more free throws by Salato pushed Eastern into the lead for good, 47-45. Coming out of a timeout, Mayo swished her three-pointer, and Cassesse sank two jumpers and Nudd one that closed out the third quarter with Eastern leading by 11.
 
Topped by Nudd (18 points), Eastern featured four players in double figures, with Salato totalling 16 points, Cassesse 15 and Mayo 14. Nudd added ten rebounds for her third double-double of the year and Salato a game-high 13 for her seventh double-double. Cassesse and Knowles each grabbed eight rebounds to help the Warriors secure a +21 advantage on the boards, with Cassesse handing out five assists and Knowles four.
 
Salato (27) and Nudd (21) had combined for 48 of Eastern's points in the first win over WestConn this year, with Cassesse grabbing ten rebounds with five assists and five steals.
 
Senior Alyssa Virtue, who had 16 rebounds earlier this year against Eastern, managed only four to go along with a team-high 17 points. Freshman Nia Rencher had 11 points (and Virtue ten) in the first half but finished with only 13, taking only two second-half shots.
 
In the first of four conference games that end the regular season, Eastern visits Keene State College Wednesday at 5 p.m., looking for the regular-season sweep after posting a 62-54 win Jan. 14 at Geissler Gym.