BOSTON, Mass. - Points were hard to come by the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium on Wednesday afternoon as UMass Boston Women's Basketball won a tightly-contested, defensive battle with visiting WestConn by a final score of 50-45. One of those scarce points was a free throw from graduate forward Meg Dixon that gave 1,000 points in her career, helping secure a big Little East Conference victory for the Beacons. 
 
The Beacons now hold a one-game lead over the Southern Maine Huskies for the sixth and final spot in the LEC Tournament and trail Castleton University by two games in the loss column for the fifth spot. 
 
THE BASICS
 
UMass Boston 50, WestConn 45
 
UMass Boston (11-9, 4-6 LEC)
WestConn (12-5, 5-4 LEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
In the first quarter, the Beacons, who have struggled with consistency from the three-point line this season, enjoyed a barrage of triples that helped them to an early lead. The game's first points came from a senior guard Keriann Farina three-pointer with just over eight minutes to play. Dixon and senior guard Paige Ollivierre would each knock down a long ball on a fastbreak and Dixon's second of the night gave the Beacons a 16-8 lead heading into the second quarter. 
 
After being doubled up in the first quarter, it was the Wolves turn to double up the Beacons in the second. A 14-7 showing sent WestConn into the locker room trailing by just one point, 23-22.
 
Just under three minutes into the third quarter, the Wolves held the lead for the first time in the game, 26-24. The deficit would grow as large as four points for the Beacons before another Ollivierre three slowed the WestConn momentum. The senior made an impact, not just from the perimeter, but all over the court, finishing with seven points, five defensive rebounds, three blocked shots, and three assists. 
 
The teams took turns holding the lead in the third quarter, which ended with a Meg Dixon jump shot which cut the deficit to one at the buzzer. That basket gave Dixon 13 points on the night and within just a single point of the 1000-point milestone.
 
In a fourth quarter defined by defensive play from both sides, sophomore guard Sunny Green made her impact felt with a pair of steals and a block. Green finished the day with seven steals and four blocks to go with eight points and six rebounds. 
 
The final frame saw both teams hold the lead but neither by more than five at any time. With 30 seconds to play in the game and her team leading by just one possession, 48-45, Meg Dixon sunk a pair of free throws. Those points, the 1,000th and 1,001st of her career, pushed the score to 50-45 which would hold as the final in a pivotal win for the Beacons. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Meg Dixon becomes the ninth member of the 1000-point club for UMass Boston Women's Basketball. She sits 10 points out of eighth place (Carol Thomas) on the all time scoring list and 11 points out of seventh (Jamila Gales)
• After being outscored by 20 points in the paint in their first matchup with WestConn, the Beacons held the Wolves to just 18 paint points while scoring 16 of their own
• The Beacons benefited from 11 fast break points while limiting the Wolves to just two
• As a team, the Beacons blocked 11 shots, their first time eclipsing double-digit blocks in a game this season

 
WHO'S NEXT
 
The Beacons will take a week off before they travel to face UMass Dartmouth to kick off the month of February, during which they will play six Little East Conference opponents in 18 days. The game will tip-off at 5:30 on Wednesday, February 1. In their matchup at the Clark Athletic Center earlier in January, UMass Boston fell 82-75 to the Corsairs after a big fourth quarter from the visitors.