Providence, R.I.—Junior guard
Madison Medbury (Scituate, R.I.) was named the Most Outstanding Player as No. 3 Rhode Island College defeated No. 20 UMass Dartmouth, 67-52, in the finals of the 2024 Little East Women's Basketball Championship played at The Murray Center on Saturday afternoon.
THE BASICS
No. 3 Rhode Island College 67, No. 20 UMass Dartmouth 52
Rhode Island College (27-0)
UMass Dartmouth (23-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The first quarter showcased offensive flashes by both sides. RIC junior forward
Angelina Nardolillo (Hinsdale, N.H.) paced the top-seeded Anchorwomen with six points as RIC took a 15-8 lead after 10 minutes.
• The Anchorwomen defense held the second-seeded Corsairs scoreless over the last 3:18 of the second quarter to give RIC a 10-point lead, 36-26, at halftime.
• A trio of three-pointers from the Anchorwomen staked the hosts to a 45-26 lead with 8:13 left in the third quarter. Both the Anchorwomen's and Corsairs' respective offensives stalled, as neither squad converted an attempted field goal over the last 5:59 of the frame. After 30 minutes of play, RIC held a 17-point, 53-36, heading into the final quarter.
• The highlight mark of the third stanza was when fifth-year forward
Izabelle Booth (Newport, R.I.) knocked down a free throw with 6:11 remaining to score her 1,000th career point. She is the 16
th women's basketball player in program history to reach that historic milestone.
• In the fourth quarter with RIC leading, 55-41, graduate guard
Sophia Guerrier (Waltham, Mass.) picked up a huge block to keep the visitors at arm's length. Three-point buckets by fifth-year guard
Jeniyah Jones (Randolph, Mass.) and
Olivia Middleton (Barrington, R.I.) helped secure the win down the stretch.
• Medbury finished with 10 points, six rebounds, six assists and a block in the win. She averaged 12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 2.0 spg in RIC's two LEC tournament wins en route to earning MVP honors.
• Jones was dominant on both ends of the floor, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a pair blocks.
• Nardolillo registered 12 points, nine boards, four assists and two blocks, while Booth rounded out the RIC contingent in double figures with a 12-point effort.
• Three of the Corsairs' four losses this season have been to the Anchorwomen.
• The Little East Championship title is the fourth straight tourney win for Head Coach
Jenna Cosgrove. It is the program's sixth all-time LEC tourney win (2024, '23, '22, '21, '14 and '12).
• RIC had previously clinched the program's fourth straight Little East Regular Season Championship with a perfect 16-0 mark in the league. It is the program's sixth all-time regular season title (2024, '23, '22, '21, '14 and '12).
• The Anchorwomen will be making the program's seventh NCAA Championship appearance ('23-24, '22-23, '21-22, '13-14, '11-12, '84-85, '82-83).
• RIC has won a program-record 27 straight games and is in the midst of a program-record 24-game home winning streak.
WHAT'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will find out its next opponent in the upcoming NCAA Div. III Women's Basketball Championship during the selection show on Monday, Feb. 26 (2:30 p.m.).
