By Sports Editor Dylan Botehlo.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women’s basketball team improved to a perfect 6-0 over last week with two solid wins against both Southern Maine and Plymouth State. Senior forward Nakira Examond lead the team in both games, remaining as dominant as she has all season, earning herself a spot as the Little East Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the seventh time in her career.
The Corsairs’ week started on Wednesday, November 28th at home against Southern Maine. This matchup would be the first of Little East Conference play for the Corsairs and they would eventually secure the victory 65-61, at home. Examond lead UMass Dartmouth with 17 points and 12 rebounds to record her already third double-double of the season.
UMass Dartmouth jumped out to a lead early in this one as they headed into the second quarter up 26-17. That nine-point lead would ultimately be the deciding factor as from the second quarter on, it was an extremely competitive game.
Southern Maine came back in the second quarter, holding the Corsairs to only eight points while scoring 14 of their own to make things close. In the third quarter, both teams matched each other’s total of 14 points. Despite being held to under 10 points the Corsairs’ blowout first quarter ensured they were still up 48-45 heading into the final frame. The Corsairs had the edge in the fourth quarter as well, as senior Jess Korzec prevented a late Southern Maine comeback by nailing her free-throws and securing the 65-61 victory.
The Corsairs were back in the Little East Conference again, again at home against Plymouth State on Saturday, December 1st. Once again in home territory, the Corsairs rolled through the Panthers. The trio of junior Kayla McMahon and seniors Examond and Korzec combined for 41 points, only three less than the entire Plymouth State team, in their 72-44 victory.
The Corsairs kept a significant lead over Plymouth State for the entirety of the game, outscoring the Panthers in every quarter. UMass Dartmouth also played a significantly better game as a team en route to victory, doubling the Panthers number in rebounds (54-27) and dishing out 12 more assists (20-8).
Examond once again recorded a double-double, dropping 16 points along with 11 rebounds. With those 16 points, she also moved into fifth place on UMass Dartmouth’s career all-time scoring list with 1,312 points.
With the win, UMass Dartmouth improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in Little East Conference play. The current Corsairs Little East Conference regular season winning streak now moves up to 18 straight games, but the Corsair’s will have a tough task ahead of them when they face number one overall ranked Bowdoin in the finale of their seven-game home opening stretch.
The Corsairs’ will try to keep their perfect record intact when Bowdoin visits UMass Dartmouth. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 6th at the Tripp Athletic Center.