Elmina Darville is not shy about launching shots from downtown. After all, the small, fiery guard from Randolph, Massachusetts is second on the team with 56 attempts from three-point land.

It’s her field goal percentage from beyond the arc that makes one pause. Darville has hit only 15 of her 56 three-point attempts for a wincing 23 percent.

Darville hit one of the biggest treys of her young career on Saturday against Little East Conference rival Western Connecticut State. With the game in overtime, Darville hit a three pointer to give the Beacons the lead for good and ultimately leading to a 73-72 win.

The victory was the first in conference play for the Beacons this season. It also snapped a seven-game losing streak. The team’s record improved to 5-9 overall.

The rest of January was not as kind to the Beacons. The team entered the New Year with a respectable 4-3 record. But loss followed loss as UMB faced some powerful competition, including Division III juggernauts Eastern Connecticut State and Southern Maine.

The transition from a team with two powerful post players (Andreen Gilpin and Jamila Gales) to one that lies heavily on the play of its guards has not been without its bumps and bruises. Establishing a new identity is never easy, especially with a bevy of first year players.

The win for the Beacons avenged a 61-55 home loss to the Colonials from earlier this season.

UMB will travel to Springfield College on Thursday, January 29 for a non-conference match, and then resume league play on Saturday, January 31 for a game against Keene State at the Clark Athletic Center. If the Beacons need incentive, the Owls have knocked them out of the Little East Conference tournament in each of the past two seasons and handed UMB a 84-56 defeat on December 13.

Senior guard Indya Mitchell was named to the LEC honor roll for the week of January 18-24.