MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Defense continues to fuel the success of the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team, which allowed its least number of points in 18 years of NCAA Division III competition with a 60-43 first-round win over St. John Fisher College Friday evening at Hitchcock Arena on the campus of Messiah College.
A winner of six straight and 14 of 15 away from home this year, Eastern (24-4) ended St. John Fisher's (21-7) season and eight-game winning streak and moves into the regional final Saturday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Friday's late game between host Messiah (23-4) and Keystone College (21-6).
Ranked second in the Little East Conference in defense, Eastern has held its opponent under 50 points for the fifth time in the last six games, having given up an average of only 45 points in two LEC tournament wins and an NCAA game.
The victory ends a four-game losing streak in NCAA play for Eastern, which forced the Cardinals into 27.4 percent shooting from the floor, including 1-of-13 from three-point range. Fisher out-rebounded Eastern 16-3 on the offensive glass but turned those rebounds into only seven points.
Eastern's starters played all but 15 minutes. The Cardinals' bench players outscored Eastern' bench, 12-0, but Eastern got 54 points on 56.1 percent shooting from starters Anna Barry (Andover), Lizzy Cretella (Cheshire) and Mya Villard (Cromwell).
The LEC Player-of-the-Year and LEC tournament MVP, Barry posted her 12th double-double with a team-high 23 points – her second-highest career total -- and game-high 12 rebounds. She blocked seven shots – one shy of the record she shares – which gives her 81 this year (second-most in a season) and 121 in her career (fourth-most).
Cretella added 16 points and Villard 15.
Eastern moved out to a 25-19 halftime lead after holding the Cardinals to seven points (3-of-18 FG) in the second quarter. Fisher also turned the ball over six times in the quarter.
Eastern's 24 wins are its most in a season in 11 years.