Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Jordyn Nappi was 5-for-9 from three-point range for a game-high 23 points to lead the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to a 75-64 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Geissler Gymnasium.
With the win, Eastern Connecticut improves to 11-4 overall and 4-1 in the Little East. Southern Maine dips to 9-6 overall and 2-3 in the conference.
Nappi was one of three Warrior players in double figures, finishing the game shooting 9-for-15 from the field. She added five rebounds and three assists. Jill Ritrosky added 20 points on a 7-for-14 effort from the field while grabbing 11 rebounds for a double-double. Erin Brooks tossed in 16 points.
Southern Maine senior guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) led the Huskies with 20 points. Junior guard Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine) added 12 points and four steals on a 5-for-10 shooting performance. Sophomore forward Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine/Messalonskee) added nine points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots, while sophomore forward Gretchen Anderson (Kittery Point, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) added nine points and four rebounds.
Nappi scored 18 of her 23 points in the first half, including 11 points in the final four minutes to pace the Warriors to a commanding 35-22 lead at the half.. After a layup from Pelletier to pull USM to within 23-18 with 3:55 on the clock, Nappie sank a three and then connected on a jump shot for a quick five points swing and a 28-18 Warrior lead. A layup from Flood and a senior guard Mariah Callender (Portland, Maine) made it a six-point game for the Huskies, but Warriors closed out the half on a 6-0 run including a buzzer-beating three from Nappi.
USM opened the second half on a 10-3 run and trimmed its deficit to six points with 15:59 to play following a layup from Anderson, but the Warriors responded with 9-0 run kick-started by a Ritrosky jumper after a feed from Nappi to lead 48-33 with 13:37 remaining.
USM battled to back within three possessions on several occasions and trailed by eight, 58-50, with 6:35 remaining following a jumper from McNamara, but Ritrosky again answered for the Warriors with a traditional three-point play effectively closing the door on the game.
Southern Maine hosts Plymouth State on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). Eastern Connecticut hosts Keene State on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).
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