MILTON, Mass. – The Curry College women's basketball team lost a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) match-up at home to the visiting Hawks of Roger Williams University on Saturday afternoon. After the loss, the Colonels sit at 4-14 on the year with a 2-7 mark in the CCC. The Hawks now boast a 6-3 league record while improving to 10-8 overall.

After a bit of a slow start by both teams, a layup by Kathryn Dunn (Hanson, Mass.) got the Colonels onto the board first. The Hawks responded on their next possession, as Sam Mancinelli (Peabody, Mass.) found Karli Opalka (Southbury, Conn.), who knotted the score. After Roger Williams broke open an 8-3 lead, Dunn hit a triple to cut the deficit to two with just over five minutes to play in the quarter. The teams traded baskets as the frame closed, but the Hawks retained the advantage at 16-12.

Opalka kicked off the second quarter with a bucket to make it 18-12, but another three-pointer by Dunn once again made it a one-possession game. The Colonels remained close throughout the quarter, bringing the score to 21-20 and then to 23-21, but could not find a way to secure a lead. Roger Williams gave themselves a cushion with seven unanswered points to bring the score to 30-21 with three minutes to play until the intermission, but Curry managed to trim the lead down to just six at 32-26 as the foes entered halftime.

Despite managing to close the gap as the first half concluded, the Colonels struggled to find their footing as the third stanza got underway, going over four minutes without a score. While the Curry offense remained quiet, the Hawks took advantage, stretching out their lead to 42-26, before entering the fourth quarter with a 22-point edge at 53-31.

After being outscored 21-5 in the previous quarter, the Colonels shook off the rust and got back to work in the fourth. After watching the score move to 60-33, Curry scored six straight points to cut into the lead. A layup by Sophie Araneo (Branford, Conn.) broke the Colonels' momentum briefly, but a three by Kirsten Smith (East Bridgewater, Mass.) brought the lead back down to 20 at 65-45 with 2:39 to play. Unfortunately, however, it would stand to be the hosts' final points of the contest, as the Hawks head home with a 66-45 CCC victory.

Gabby Jerahian (Quincy, Mass.) led the Hawks' offense with 20 points, while Sam Leone (Ashland, Mass.) and Mancinelli shared the team lead in assists with six apiece. Kendi Barnard (Bedford, N.H.) rounded out the team leaders with 12 boards. Dunn collected eight rebounds for the Colonels, despite not scoring in the second half, while Kaitlynn Smith (Hull, Mass.) was the team's only double-digit scorer, finishing with 10 points. Sisters Kirsten and Katie Smith (East Bridgewater, Mass.) each registered three helpers in the defeat.

Both teams will get back to work with 5:30 p.m. tip-offs on Tuesday, January 25. The Colonels will hit the road to face the Fighting Scots of Gordon College, while the Hawks head home to host the Western New England Golden Bears.

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