After a strong showing against Lasell University at home, UMass Boston Women’s Basketball traveled to Willington, Conn., for their first Little East Conference matchup of the season against Eastern Connecticut State, Saturday, Dec. 2. The Warriors have been on a three-game losing streak coming into this matchup, so UMass Boston had a tough task ahead of them and had to extinguish the fire in EastConn’s stomach. [1]
The Warriors were quick to open up an 8–2 advantage to start the match, but UMass Boston came back with a 10–3 run of their own. The Beacons were led by Skyeler Sandison and Kayla Jackson, each scoring four points, putting UMass Boston out in front. Sibayla Jensen opened up the three-point scoring for the Beacons and kept the game close, with the score being 17–15 in favor of the Warriors entering the second frame.
A rain of points put UMass Boston down 10 with under a minute and a half to play until halftime. A mid-range jump shot from Jensen and a three at the buzzer from standout freshman Sophia Bradbury put them right back in the action, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 30-25 at halftime.
Going into the second half, EastConn came out swinging. The Beacons were able to prevent any sustained scoring runs, but could not quite chip away at the lead, and the Warriors continued to extend, not holding back. EastConn stretched their advantage out to double-digits, taking the game 62–49. [2]
After a tough loss, the Beacons traveled back home Wednesday, Dec. 6 to face the struggling Western Connecticut State Huskies; who have all but one win on the season. UMass Boston wasn’t feeling sympathetic though, coming off a grueling loss of their own, they looked to get back in the win column. [3]
The first quarter was a low-scoring affair for both teams. Jackson put down back-to-back layups to give UMass Boston an 8–6 lead with two minutes left to play. A pair of free throws by Keriann Farina erased a Wolves’ layup, but WestConn’s Nicole Vivian helped put the Wolves on top 11–10 heading into the second quarter.
The Beacons came back in the second quarter, as an early mid-range jumper from Farina, followed by an excellent three-pointer from Bradbury put UMass Boston out in front 15–11. UMass Boston then went on a 7–0 run, extending the lead to a solid 22–11. Tatiannah Fevry and Jackson lit up the scoreboard for four points in the second, while Bradbury scored again with another three to put UMass Boston up five at halftime, 28–23.
In the second half, a pair of early buckets stretched the Beacons’ lead out to nine points, but the Wolves chipped away, narrowing it down to just two points with just over five minutes to play in the third quarter.
In the fourth, Western Connecticut was absolutely ruthless, cutting the deficit down to six. However, UMass Boston finished off with a swift 7–0 run to diminish any hope for a Wolves comeback, securing the 61–48 victory for the Beacons. This was an important win for UMass Boston, a great momentum swing for the team. [4]
Women’s basketball has seen their performance drastically change over the past couple of weeks. It’s no easy task to bounce back from beginning a season with a three-game skid, but the Beacons were able to fight hard and come back stronger than they have in recent memory. Although EastConn may have caused a minor setback, the team’s performance against WestConn made room for the Beacons to become more consistent as a group heading into winter break.
Beacons Athletics reports that the Beacons will head on an important two-game road trip to Providence, R.I., and Quincy, Mass. Look out for the Beacons’ next home game against Wheaton College on New Year’s Eve. [5]
[1] https://gowarriorathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule
[3] https://westconnathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule
[5] 2023-24 Women’s Basketball Schedule – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)