DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Senior guard Sydney Craig (Waterbury, Conn.) came off the bench to notch a team-high 11 points but it wasn't enough as the Western Connecticut State University women's basketball team was downed at Little East Conference opponent UMass Dartmouth, 83-53, on Saturday afternoon at Tripp Athletic Center.

Classmates Maggie Nardini (Sandwich, Mass.) and Gabrielle Franks (Madison, Conn.) added nine points apiece from the frontcourt, while sophomore guard Malaysia Dingle (Holbrook, Mass.) handed out a game-high six assists for the Wolves. Junior forward Alyssa Virtue (Groton, Conn.) contributed a game-high four blocked shots.

Teja Andrews led the Corsairs with a game-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor, while Carly Whiteside chipped in with 18 points and nine rebounds.

The hosts sank 42 percent (33-of-78) of their field goal attempts, while holding the visitors to 29 percent (18-of-62). UMass Dartmouth also controlled interior play notching 54 points in the paint, while holding WestConn to 12. The Corsairs forced 21 turnovers while committing just 12. 

The visitors drew first blood when senior guard Nicole Peralta (North Windham, Conn.) drilled a three-pointer but the hosts countered with a spurt to snag a 21-9 advantage late in the first quarter. They added to their lead in the second before Franks drilled a pair of free throws, cutting the deficit to 49-30 at the break. However, it didn't get any easier for the Wolves in the second half. They could not shrink the gap any further as the Corsairs cruised the rest of the way.

With the loss, WestConn fell to 5-12 overall and 1-7 in league play, while UMass Dartmouth improved to 13-2 and 6-1. WestConn has a week of practice to focus before they return to the hardwood at LEC foe Plymouth State University on Saturday at 1 p.m.