Willimantic, Conn.--Senior guard Jeniyah Jones (Randolph, Mass.) was named the Most Outstanding Player as No. 2-seeded Rhode Island College defeated No. 1-seeded Eastern Connecticut, 61-52, to clinch its third straight Little East Women's Basketball Championship in the tourney final played at Geissler Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
 
THE BASICS
No. 2 Rhode Island College 61, No.1 Eastern Connecticut 52
Rhode Island College (24-3)
Eastern Connecticut (22-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• RIC and Eastern Connecticut tied for the Little East's Regular Season Championship with identical, 15-1, league records. The teams split the two regular season meetings and Eastern Connecticut was awarded the top seed on a tiebreaker coin flip.
 
• RIC went up by eight, 16-8, with 1:46 left in the first quarter. Senior guard Antonia Corsinetti (Johnston, R.I.) knocked down three treys for nine points in the opening 10 minutes. Eastern would score a couple of unanswered buckets and the Anchorwomen would take the first quarter by three, 16-13.
 
• The Warriors would get the score within one point on a few occasions, but the Anchorwomen would answer back every time and led by seven, 29-22, at halftime.
 
• RIC held Eastern scoreless until six minutes remained in the third quarter. The Warriors heated up, outscoring the Anchorwomen, 13-2, from that point on to tie the game up at 35 apiece heading into the fourth quarter.
 
• The Anchorwomen exploded for 26 points in the final frame to pull away down the stretch.
 
• Jones was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player with a 10-point, 12-rebound  double-double in the final.


 
• Corsinetti led the visitors with 17 points.
 
• ECSU graduate forward Anna Barry (Andover, Conn.), the 2022 Little East Women's Basketball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, racked up 25 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.
 
RIC IN THE LITTLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
• RIC has won five Little East Regular Season Championships (2023, 2022, 2021, 2014, 2012) and five Little East Tournament titles (2023, 2022, 2021, 2014, 2012).
 
• The Anchorwomen are making the program's sixth NCAA Championship appearance ('22-23, '21-22, '13-14, '11-12, '84-85, '82-83).
 
WHAT'S NEXT
• In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will compete in first round action of the NCAA Div. III Women's Basketball Championship.
 
• The Anchorwomen will find out their opponent during the NCAA Div. III Women's Basketball Championship selection show on Monday, Feb. 27.