Women’s Basketball: Warriors Drop Tight Little East Conference Road Contest

2/4/2026 9:16:00 PM | By: Alyssa French-Graham

Box Score
DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball fell in a tightly contested Little East road match-up against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 67-59, Wednesday night at the Tripp Athletic Center.

Despite a back-and-forth contest, the Corsairs pulled away behind a decisive early fourth-quarter run and steady free-throw shooting in the final minutes, holding off the Warriors' late push.

The loss drops Eastern to 8-12 overall and 5-6 in Little East Conference play, while UMass Dartmouth improves to 8-12 overall and 5-6 in league action.

Game Information:

Score: Eastern Connecticut State University 59, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 67
Records: Eastern (8-12) (LEC 5-6), Massachusetts Dartmouth (8-12) (LEC 5-6)
Location: Dartmouth, Mass. | (Tripp Athletic Center)

Key Moments:
First Quarter

Eastern opened the first quarter with a layup from Maddie Topa (New Hartford) and quick buckets from Katelyn Novak (Colchester) and Alyssa Paquette (Claremont, NH), while the Corsairs answered behind points from Carly McDonald and Yasmine Santos, to keep the contest tight at 6-4 midway through the quarter.
Despite balanced trips to the basket, Eastern found separation off Novak's sparking three, while additional cash-ins beyond the arc from both Liv Cassesse (Wallingford) and Novak again left a daunting 17-8 gap for Dartmouth heading into the second.

Second Quarter

Immediately, UMass Dartmouth sought to chop the lead. A three from Melanie DeMeo did the job, fueling momentum. The Corsairs worked their leverage inside the paint to grab a three-point play from Santos, along with a quick trey from Cristina Negron to get back within striking distance. Eastern's Marissa Nudd (Colchester) slowed the Corsair's fire with a quick trip to the basket, edging Dartmouth, 21-17, with four to go.
Both teams played a tightly contested last four, Eastern holding a narrow one-point lead, which UMass Dartmouth's Melanie DeMeo toppled with a sinking three, flipping the advantage to the Corsairs' favor, 29-27 at the half.

Third Quarter

Opening the third, UMass Dartmouth struck first behind Elizabeth Gresian, but the margin remained tight as neither side could create much separation. Nudd continued to attack the paint and draw contact for more Eastern buckets, yet Yasmine Santos proved a problem down the other end, converting another three-point play to give the Corsairs a 39-36 edge with four minutes remaining.
The back-and-forth carried into the end of the quarter as Nudd and DeMeo battled for the lead. DeMeo connected from her familiar spot along the arc, knocking down a solid three, while Nudd gathered another layup off the glass. Both teams entered the final frame deadlocked at 42-42.

Fourth Quarter

The fourth quarter proved no different as relentless pressure from both teams kept the game tightly contested. Eastern's Cassesse and Topa capitalized on Corsairs' defensive gaps, but UMass Dartmouth quickly seized control with a decisive 9-0 run sparked by three-pointers from Kaila Pruitt and Melanie DeMeo, paired with dominant trips down low from Gresian.
After a brief 57-57 tie, Dartmouth's lead held as the Warriors battled back, only to see crucial fouls late in the frame. Infractions from the Warriors gave UMass Dartmouth multiple trips to the line as they entered the bonus. The Corsairs converted each opportunity, pulling away definitively for a 67-59 win over the Warriors.

Stats:

Eastern Conn. St.: 25-58 FG (43.1%), 5-21 3PT (23.8%), 4-5 FT (80.0%)
UMass Dartmouth: 21-58 FG (36.2%), 9-23 3PT (39.1%), 16-18 FT (88.9%)
Rebounds: Eastern 38, UMass Dartmouth 33
Assists: Eastern 12, UMass Dartmouth 14
Turnovers: Eastern 19, UMass Dartmouth 14
Points in the Paint: Eastern 32, UMass Dartmouth 20
Second-Chance Points: Eastern 15, UMass Dartmouth 13
Fast Break Points: Eastern 4, UMass Dartmouth 8
Points off Turnovers: Eastern 6, UMass Dartmouth 19
Bench Points: Eastern 6, UMass Dartmouth 12

Game Notes:

Nudd led the warriors with 16 points, adding five rebounds and one steal.
Cassese contributed 13 points, while Topa added 10 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
Paquette added four points with eight rebounds and one block, while Novak added 10 points with four rebounds and two assists.

Up Next:
Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball hosts the University of Southern Maine Saturday at 3 p.m., at Geissler Gymnasium. The nationally-ranked Huskies (19-2, 11-1 LEC) had a 16-game winning streak halted Wednesday night in a 70-62 LEC road loss to Rhode Island College which was their first in the conference after 11 wins. The win moved Rhode Island to within a game of Southern Maine in the standings with four LEC regular-season games remaining.

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