The lady Owls fell short 65-56 in a Little East Conference matchup Saturday, Jan. 21 against UMass Dartmouth.

Sophomore guard Lydia Vital racked up double digits scoring 17 points, while her teammate and fellow guard Stephanie D’Annolfo scored 11.

UMass Dartmouth’s sophomore forward Nakira Examond scored 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Rybecca Gonzalez and Leah Douty both added 10 points.

Keene State had an early lead with the help from junior guard Sandi Purcell. Purcell made a three-point play with back-to-back baskets from D’Annolfo. Vital got possession of the ball and went for a layup, which brought the Owls up 17-10. Gonzalez made a layup at the end of the first quarter and brought the score to 20-14.

Luke Stergiou/ Senior photographer

UMass Dartmouth came out strong in the beginning of the second quarter, scoring six of the first eight baskets.

The Owls didn’t give in; they went on a five straight point kick. Sophomore guard Emily McPadden landed a three-pointer with 2:49 to go on the clock. The Owls lead 27-20.

The Corsairs had a 9-2 run, bringing both teams to a tie.

With 7:10 on the clock, UMass Dartmouth hit a three, taking them into the lead 36-32. The Owls came back with a pair of foul shots from D’Annolfo.

The Owls outscored UMass in the beginning of the third quarter. The Owls were within two, 52-50.

The Corsairs had the next possession with an 8-3 run, putting the Owls out of reach. Forward and first-year Kenzie Bennett made it 61-56 with just 1:40 on the clock.

The Corsairs closed out the game, while the Owls missed their final shots.

Shelby Iava can be contacted at siava@kscequinox.com