BOX SCORE

Playa del Carmen, Mexico – The University of Hartford women's basketball team dropped its final game at the Caribbean Challenge 71-65 to the Penn State Lady Lions. The Hawks fall to 1-6 on the season and were led by four guards in double figures with Daphne Elliott leading all Hawks with 15 points.

Elliott finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field on 6-of-12, including 3-of-4 from beyond the three point line. Joining her in double figures was Mary Silvia with 12, Alex Hall with 11 and Ilicia Mathis with 10. The three combined to shoot 13-of-26 from the floor with Silvia leading all three going 4-of-5, with three three pointers.

The Hawks also won the battle of the boards for just the first time this season finishing with a 39-33 advantage. Leading the team was Elliott who finished with seven boards, while four others finished with four or more. Elliott also added four steals, matching the sophomore's career-high.

As a team, Hartford shot 41.3 percent (26-of-63), including 43.5 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-23). For the first time this season the Hawks did struggle at the free throw line hitting just three of their 10 attempts. On the other side the Lady Lions finished the game shooting 42.9 percent (24-of-56). They also shot well from beyond the arc, finishing with an identical 10-of-23 effort, while capitalizing at the free throw line hitting 13-of-18 for 72.2 percent.  

The Hawks opened the game hitting three-straight three pointers to take an early 9-2 lead. They would hold that lead until the eight minute mark when Ariel Edwards capped off a 6-0 run with a three pointer tying the score at 27.

The teams would trade baskets for the rest of the half, going into the break knotted at 37 despite a last second three pointer from Maggie Lucas (Lady Lions leading scorer with 27 points). Lucas' shot was released less than a second after the buzzer leaving the score tied.

The Lady Lions came out of the halftime break to score the first seven points and take a 44-37 lead, the largest of the game for Penn State, a lead they would now relinquish the remainder of the game.

The Hawks cut into the lead with five-straight all from Mathis on a three pointer and a drive to the hoop. After Penn State opened its lead back to seven at 55-48, the Hawks again made a run, this time scoring five-straight to pull within two points, 53-55 with 8:07 remaining.

After five straight from the Lady Lions, the Hawks answered with back-to-back buckets from Nikkia Smith and Elliott to pull within three with 5:20 remaining. The teams would then trade three pointers from Lucas and Mathis before the Lady Lions took a 65-60 advantage on two free throws with 3:19 remaining.

Two more free throws with 2:55 remaining put the Lady Lions lead back to five. The Hawks were unable to capitalize in the final minutes of the game as Edwards hit a layup and Alex Bentley secured the victory with a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining.

The Hawks will return to New England for their next game back in Beantown against the Harvard Crimson on Friday, December 3. The Hawks and Crimson are scheduled to tip at 7:00 p.m.