DANBURY, Conn.—Despite a combined 47 points and 14 rebounds from Grace Geary (Falmouth, Mass.) and Olivia Murphy (Canton, Mass.), UMass Boston women's basketball fell just short in a 71-64 loss Saturday afternoon to host Western Connecticut State University.

THE BASICS

Western Connecticut State University 71, UMass Boston 64

(UMass Boston 9-8, Little East 2-5)

(Western Connecticut State 11-6, Little East 5-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED

After trailing by as many as 13 late in the third quarter, UMass Boston mounted a huge charge and cut the deficit to 63-61 with 1:40 to play, only to have the Colonials outscore them 8-3 over the final 100 seconds.

Geary paced all players with 27 points on 12-of-24 shooting on the afternoon. The sophomore guard added a team-high eight rebounds and five assists. Murphy poured in 20 points of 6-of-9 shooting, as she also connected on 8-of-9 free throw attempts.

Junior Chantel Jordan (Brockton, Mass.) was the only other Beacon to finish with more than four points, as she chipped in with eight points in the contest.

Emily Dobson led four Western Connecticut State players in double-digits, as she finished with a team-high 15 points. Samantha Smith (13 points), Alyssa Eannotti (12 points and 10 rebounds) and Kerri Stolle (11 points) all joined Dobson in double-figures.

Western, winners of five of its last seven games, led throughout the first quarter before UMass Boston took a 16-15 lead following a pair of free throws from Murphy in the opening minute of the second quarter.

After the game's third tie, the Colonials took the lead, 21-20 on a bucket in the paint from Eannotti.  They never trailed again.

The Beacons came back from a 13-point deficit late in the third quarter to draw within two points, 63-61 with 1:40 remaining in the final stanza.   Murphy converted a lay up at that point, but the visitors could not get any closer, as the Colonials knocked down all six of their free throw attempts down the stretch.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Western Connecticut State earned the season-sweep with the victory and improved to 38-11 all-time against the Beacons. Last season, UMass Boston swept the Colonials in the regular season and then beat them again in the Little East Conference Quarterfinals.
• UMass Boston tied their season-low with just one-made 3-pointer. The Beacons finished 1-for-8 on the game.
• For just the second time this season, the Beacons were outrebounded in a game, as Western won the battle of the boards 43-33.
• The Beacons force 24 Western Connecticut State turnovers, while only giving the ball away 15 times.

WHO'S NEXT

UMass Boston will continue their three-game conference road trip on Wednesday night, when they travel to UMass Dartmouth for a 5:30 p.m. tip.