WBB: Little East

[7express]

Thursday predictions:

Plymouth State @ Lasell.
A makeup from December 9.  The teams are a combined 11-26 overall, 1-14 in their respective conference play, and have lost a combined 13 straight games.  is it too late to postpone this game and just cancel it all together??  Why are they playing??  Lasell 67-49

Purchase @ Western.
Last year when Purchase finished 16-10, they lost by 27 at home.  This year the Panthers are a dismal 3-15 and going on the road.  Western plays Plymouth on Saturday, hopefully they can gain some momentum for the last 2 weeks of LEC play, with a 3-0 week.  Western 78-48

[7express]

Saturday's LEC schedule:

Western @ Plymouth
Boston @ Eastern
USM @ Dartmouth
RIC @ Keene.  All 4 games are good in some regard, but I'll nominate Boston/Eastern for the best of the day.

[7express]

Saturday predictions:

Western @ Plymouth.
Western sits alone in 7th place in the LEC but if you go by overall winning percentage they are tied with Boston for the best overall mark with a .650 winning percentage behind only Eastern (700 wp%) and Dartmouth (.800 wp%) so this is still a good team even though the results in the LEC aren't proving it.  Colonials have won 16 straight in the series, and with the Colonials upcoming schedule to end the year (at home vs. improving RIC, @ a tough keene, home vs. Eastern & @ Boston) this is a game the Colonials MUST win....and they do!  Western 67-39

Boston @ Eastern.
Very intruiging game.  This is what I wrote in the Beacons scheduling preview, "Actually, Mattingly put together a pretty impressive coaching staff for this year: Moriarty to work with Morrison, Murphy (I'm still going by what I've been saying the last 2 years she'd be unguardable with an outside shot) and the rest of the bigs and recent graduates Shelby Buck & Andrea Suffredini to work with the guards.  The OOC schedule still sucks, but I think they can compete this year."  As usual, the OOC schedule sucked, but unlike in years past following them once LEC play rolled around for good, they've folded like a lawn chair after Labor Day they are holding their own this season.  The road has always been a difficult place for them to perform well, but they are holding their own this year as well.  Granted RIC & Western aren't very good, but winning at those 2 places is extremely tough, as evidence it was the Beacons first win in Danbury since 2004 and they completely ran them out of the O'Neil Center, they also only lost by 10 @ Dartmouth.  Key for this game for a Beacons victory could be Grace Geary.  She had only 13 in the Beacons 4 point home loss to the Warriors back in January, and in 8 games since than she is averaging more than 17 ppg.  The Warriors are 2 games up on the Beacons, and even though the Warriors still have to play @ Dartmouth @ Western, and home vs. USM where the Huskies are much better on the road surprisingly, the Warriors can pretty much salt away no worse than a 2 seed with the win since they'd win the head-to-head tiebreaker with the season series sweep over the Beacons.  Beacons can make the race for second very interesting with a win: they only play once more on the road (@ USM), get Dartmouth at home, where the Beacons have beaten them the last 2 years, get Western at home to end the year, and still have a gimme with a home game remaining vs. Plymouth which Eastern doesn't have anymore.  I know the Beacons lost to Plymouth at home last year, but this Beacons team this year is so much better than last year's team, it's hard to see that happening again.  I still haven't abandoned the Beacons bandwagon, I think they steal one in Willi, 68-65.

USM @ Dartmouth.
This is only gonna be the second time since 2000 the Huskies will finish with less than 20 wins, and unless they go on a major run the first time since at least 2000 they'll finish with under 18 wins; they currently have 9 with at best 8 more regular seasons to go.  Winning out the rest of the year would get them to 17 and it's possible with a good first round opponent they can win that game to finish with 18 but I have a hard time seeing them win two more after that to reach that 20 win plateau.  Before February, 2014, the Corsairs have won once in their history against the Huskies; on February 7, 2015, the Corsairs have won 3 times in their history against the Huskies, by virtue of winning 2 straight.  Dartmouth is setting all kinds of school records this season for the women's basketball program (first win in Danbury in 7 years, first win in Maine ever, unless the wheels completely fall off probably their most victories in the school history, quite possibly the first LEC regular season/postseason title in history, and by far the most wins by a senior class in history [66 and counting].  By comparision, Erika Bornemann's class had only 58 wins, and Colleen Moriarty's only had 53.  Let's add another record to the Corsairs history book this year, first sweep of USM in school history.  Dartmouth 78-69

RIC @ Keene.
Keene's win in Providence back in January broke a 9 game losing streak to the Anchorwomen.  However, since that game the 2 teams have gone in different directions: RIC is trending upwards, while the Owls are trending downwards (though they did pick up a much needed win @ USM last weekend).  Important game for seeding purposes as the 2 teams are tied for 5th at 4-5, 1 back of USM and Boston who are tied for 3rd.  A Keene win would give them the head to head sweep of the Anchorwomen and the all important tiebreaker, but a RIC win would give them a decisive tiebreaker in their back pocket.  Both teams still have Dartmouth left to play and at best each can finish 1-1 against the Corsairs, while the Owls still play Eastern, and can get to 1-1 against the Warriors.  However, since the Anchorwomen swept the Warriors during the season they have that impending tiebreaker hanging like a low hanging fruit.  It's also important for RIC in the impeding 3 way tie for 5-5 we could have at the end of the day: they are 0-3 vs. Boston & USM this year while the Owls split with both the Huskies & Beacons and have finished 2-2 against those 3 teams.  May not look it on the standings page, but this is a very big game for both squads.  Loser of this will have a hard time finishing in the top 4.  Keene 63-58

[7express]

A Dartmouth win over USM coupled with a Boston loss to Eastern would guarantee the Corsairs no worse than the 2 seed in the conference tournament.

[ECSUalum]

Congrats to Jill Ritrowski for her award!!!

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State University junior women's basketball forward Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, MA) has become the first player in program history to receive a spot on the Capital One Academic Division III All-District Team, selected by  the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDs)

http://gowarriorathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2014-15/releases/ritrosky-capital_One

[amh63]

ECSU.....saw Jill Ritrosky play against Conn.  Quite a player.  Pittsfield,HS.  Is an school that both Amherst and Williams  goes after students.  Surprised that Amherst did not get her .

[7express]

Keene blowing the doors off RIC 44-26.  RIC started off up 8-2, got out scored 42-18 the last 17 minutes.  The Anchorwomen also lost Alex Moore to an injury.  It looked like a knee injury and if that's the case her season is probably over.  Tough break as she was really carrying the team, that's a big loss.  In any case her days likely over, but hopefully she gets back to the court this year hopefully Tuesday.
In other scores Eastern up 31-15, Western demolishing Plymouth 36-14, and the good road version of USM has showed up as they lead Dartmouth 29-21.  All games at half

[7express]

Keene wins by 40.  RIC had no offensive rhythm after Moore's injury
USM held onto win by 4, the other 2 games were blowouts with Eastern winning by 28 and Western by 40.

[ECSUalum]

ECSU.....saw Jill Ritrosky play against Conn.  Quite a player.  Pittsfield,HS.  Is an school that both Amherst and Williams  goes after students.  Surprised that Amherst did not get her .

amh63,
Yes she is a class act and excellent forward for Coach Bierly.  I always admire these student athletes who excel on and off the court, it takes soo much focus, hard work, effort and intelligence!!  Thanks for your comments +k

[7express]

Tuesday schedule:

RIC @ Western
Plymouth @ USM
Keene @ Eastern
Dartmouth @ Boston.  Boston/Dartmouth gets my top billing of the day.  Predictions tomorrow.

[amh63]

Was going to watch the Keene vs Eastern game in Williamatic....but is is now postponed!  Must be the hills in town that strain the snow movers.  Did watch the UConn vs USC game in Storrs last night...the pics of the snow outside show have given me a clue.....Storrs just up the road abit.

[7express]

Game will be tomorrow night at 5:30 PM Amh if you are still in town.  I may be up there for that now

[7express]

Keene/Eastern, Dartmouth/Boston postponed to tomorrow.  For Tuesday:

RIC @ Western.  With Alex Moore's injury RIC will struggle to score and definitely won't be putting up 70 like they did in January.  RIC won the first meeting 70-53 but even if they lose this they are still in pretty good shape with the tiebreaker since they have the sweep of Eastern in their back pockets.  Western 58-41

Plymouth @ USM.  The Huskies have really struggled at home this year, and won by 6 in overtime in Plymouth last month.  Huskies shouldn't have a problem in this one.  USM 78-42

[7express]

USM beats Plymouth 52-43.  Panthers have officially clinched last place overall for the 5th straight season.  They will now officially be the 8th seed in the upcoming LEC tourney, and will play the conference winner in the opening round 2 weeks from today, likely whoever wins Saturday's Dartmouth/Eastern showdown.  Plymouth actually lead by 2 at halftime, but USM pulled away in the 2nd.

Western beats RIC 66-45.  Sam Smith had 21 off the bench for a game high and Caroline Brasa added 18.  Jess Korzec had 12 and Devin Hill had 11 for the Anchorwomen but nobody else scored more than 5.

[7express]

Keene @ Eastern.
Last time the Owls were in Willimantic last January was the game before the RIC/Eastern showdown in Providence which even taking place the last Saturday of January was for the title since those 2 were heads and shoulders above else at that time.  This time the Owls come into Willimantic also the game before the Eastern/Dartmouth showdown Saturday which at this place in the season will likely determine the regular season champ.  The Warriors swept them last year, but in the game in Willi last year in what the Warriors were probably looking ahead to RIC, the Owls hung with them for the entire game and even lead with under 5:30 to play.  Owls probably get another sluggish Warriors showing who are looking ahead to Saturday, but the Warriors pull it out, 74-64

Dartmouth @ Boston.
Big game in Boston for both teams.  With a Corsairs loss here it would put even more pressure on Saturdays game since the Corsairs lost the first meeting, and would lose the tiebreaker with a sweep.  In Bostons case, they are still in the running for a home quarterfinal game which would be a huge accomplishment to this program.  Wins by Dartmouth & Eastern this evening would leave a 3 team tie for 4th between Keene, Boston, & Western, though I believe the Beacons would still own the tiebreaker.  This is the biggest week in the history of UMass-Dartmouth women's basketball, how will they handle pressure??  They didn't look so good Saturday at home vs. USM, and the Corsairs have lost 2 straight at the Clark Athletic Center.  Boston 71-69