Cameron Iasimone
Asst. Sports Editor
Coach Jenna Cosgrove thus far has led the Anchorwomen this season to an 18-5 record, with the number one seed currently in the Little East Conference.
Before Wednesday, Feb. 9, the Anchorwomen were on a 13-game winning streak, blowing out their competition. The fans were finally back in attendance at the Murray Center after the long COVID-19 mandate, but the Warriors of Eastern Connecticut were not fazed by the noise. They were armed and ready to face up against the number one seed in Rhode Island College.
The Warriors took the lead early on with Ashanti Frazier being the only scorer in the first quarter for the Anchorwomen with six points with a slow 13-6 start.
The pace of the game started to increase as more Anchorwomen were getting involved in the scoring category. Maire Gallagher hit a huge shot from beyond the three-point arc to push the momentum of the offense in the right direction.
At the half the Anchorwomen were still down by 11, but coach Cosgrove made some big changes defensively. Applying full-court pressure throughout the whole third quarter, the Anchorwomen were able to allow the Warriors to commit four turnovers in the backcourt, resulting in a tie-ball game.
To conclude the third quarter, not slowing down with her three-point shooting, Maire Gallagher hit a buzzer-beating three-point shot as the clock expired on one of the Anchorwomen's last offensive positions going into the fourth quarter. The floor was shaking from how loud the crowd erupted after that, but the contest was far from over.
The fourth quarter would bring back and forth play between the two, making it anyone's game until the final buzzer. Warriors guard Julie Keckler would sink an And-1 layup and convert her free throw to push the lead up to three, 50-47, for Eastern Connecticut with 13 seconds left in the game. The Anchorwomen had no more timeouts left for coach Cosgrove to call. As Madison Medbury brought the ball up the floor, she found Antonia Corsinetti on the right-wing. With the clock winding down at seven seconds, Corsinetti launched up a prayer from three-point land and sunk it in off the backboard sending the game into overtime.
Overtime ended in the Anchorwomen coming up short by three points with the game being competitive by both sides. In the end, their 13-game win streak was snapped.
The Anchorwomen bounced back the following Saturday to beat UMass Boston, which advanced their record to 18-5. They continue to hold the number one seed in the Little East Conference. With playoffs coming right around the corner, the team is hoping to repeat as champions this postseason.
For more Anchorwomen basketball, go to http://www.goanchormen.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule