Box Score BOSTON, Mass. – Senior forwards Mariah Dunn and Anna Barry combined for 41 of the 54 points for Eastern Connecticut State University as UMass Boston Women's Basketball fell in their Little East Conference opener versus the Warriors, 54-36, on Saturday afternoon inside Clark Athletic Center.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 36, Eastern Connecticut 54
UMass Boston (5-3)
Eastern Connecticut (5-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a battle of the bigs in the early going as Dunn scored the first six points of the game for Eastern Connecticut while graduate forward
Meg Dixon was responsible for seven of the first 13 points that UMass Boston recorded en route to an early 13-6 lead in the first quarter. The Beacon defense forced seven turnovers in the opening frame while holding Barry to just two points on 1-of-3 shooting to close out the first 10 minutes with a 13-10 lead despite a 4-0 run to close out the quarter by the Warriors.
A 3-for-13 shooting performance, including 0-for-5 from three-point range by the Beacons would allow Eastern Connecticut to creep back into the contest and take the lead with an initial 5-0 run to go in front, 15-13. A 5-0 run in response, which included a three-point play for junior transfer forward
Alexah Potter helped UMass Boston regain their three-point advantage, 18-15. The Warriors would throw the last punch of the second period, using an 8-2 run which included six points from Dunn (15 points in the first half) gave Eastern Connecticut a three-point lead, 23-20, heading into the break.
Outscoring the Beacons 11-2 through the first six minutes of the third quarter, Eastern Connecticut opened up a 13-point lead over the Beacons as Barry would score 10 of the first 14 points for the Warriors. The UMass Boston shooting woes would continue throughout the entirety of the third as they went just 1-for-16 from the floor, making them 4-for-30 over the middle two quarters while being 4-for-5 from the free throw line and trailing 42-25 after three.
Trailing by double-digits in the fourth quarter, the Beacons would shoot only 20% in the final 10 minutes (3-for-15 from the field), falling 54-36 in their LEC opener at home.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Alexah Potter finished the game with five blocks and nine rebounds, the five blocks were one shy of tying her career-high of six blocks against Lesley University
- As a team, the Beacons recorded nine blocks, three shy of the program record of 12 set back in 1998 against Mount Holyoke
- UMass Boston shot 19% from the floor, going 12-for-63 in the contest
- 14 of the 16 players for Eastern Connecticut saw playing time on Saturday while 11 of 15 saw playing time for UMass Boston
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston finishes off a two-game stretch at home with a non-conference matchup against New England College scheduled for Monday afternoon at 4:00 PM. The two teams faced each other last season with the Pioneers beating the Beacons, 56-47, at home. This will be the first time the two sides square off at the Clark Athletic Center.
