Corsairs catch fire in second half to defeat Seahawks

DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's basketball team used a 25-point fourth quarter effort on Tuesday evening to remain unbeaten, rising to 5-0 with a 73-40 home win over Salve Regina.

The Corsairs exploded in the second half, outscoring the Seahawks 41 to 16 in the final two frames and holding their opponents to 5-of-28 on field goal attempts. On offense, the Corsairs converted on 45 percent of their shots in the third and fourth quarters, while sophomore Alicia Kutil (Franklin, Mass.) recorded 13 of her team-high 21 points on the game.

Sophomore Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) earned the game's only double-double, grabbing a game-high 11 boards while scoring 12 points. Kutil was also a defensive presence in the paint, securing nine rebounds.

The Seahawks kept things close for the entirety of the first half, thanks in large part to senior Meaghan Harden's (Sandwich, Mass.) 15 points. Harden shot 50 percent of the floor on 6-of-12 shooting, burying two of three 3-point attempts to pace the Seahawks to a 32-24 deficit heading into the break.

In the first half, the Corsairs went 14-of-36 from the floor, with 18 points in the paint, while Kutil and senior Beth Castantini (Newburyport, Mass.) led the roster with eight points apiece.

The UMass Dartmouth defense made a resounding comeback following the break, as Salve Regina was able to muster only nine points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth, while Harden was held to only seven points in the second half. In the fourth quarter alone, the Corsairs scored 10 points on turnovers while forcing 13 total in the second half.

Castantini also registered in double-digits for UMD, dropping 15 points including a perfect 3-for-3 from long range. Freshman Nakira Examond (New Bedford, Mass.) contributed seven points with eight boards, with sophomore Chelsea Houlihan (Wolcott, Conn.) snatching seven boards and scoring five points.

For the Seahawks, Harden finished with 22 points and seven boards, dishing our two assists with a steal and a block. Sophomore Allyson Esielionis (Shirley, Mass.) contributed two points and six rebounds, while Tara Burke (Londonderry, N.H.) added four points and five rebounds.

Both teams will return to play after the holiday, with UMass Dartmouth traveling for its first road contest at Bridgewater State on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and Salve Regina hosting No. 18 Bowdoin College (USA TODAY SPORTS TOP 25 DIVISION III WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES' POLL - 11/25/2015) on Saturday at 3 p.m.