VESTAL, N.Y. – The Hartford women's basketball team dropped its conference opener to the Binghamton Bearcats 46-44 on Wednesday night at the Events Center in Vestal, N.Y. Hartford (9-5 overall, 0-1 America East) was led by senior Nikkia Smith who finished as the only Hawk in double figures with 13 points, 11 of which came in the first 20 minutes.

The Hawks finished the contest shooting just 27.3 percent (15-of-55) overall, making just six baskets in the second half (6-of-27, 22.2 percent). Smith, who finished the first half 4-of-9 from the field missed her four field goal attempts in the second half and scored her only two points in the final 20 minutes at the free throw line.

Also among the scoring leaders was Shanise Bultron who chipped in a season-high nine points, all coming from beyond the arc where she finished 3-of-8. Overall, the Hawks were 5-of-19 from long range. Hartford also finished 9-of-13 at the free throw line. Daphne Elliott also finished well for the Hawks adding six points while grabbing an equal amount of rebounds, picking up three steals and passing for three assists.

Hartford did win the battle of the boards in their league opener with a 38-37 advantage led by six each from Elliott and Taylor Clark, who made her second-straight start. Katie Roth and Ruthanne Doherty each added five rebounds, while Smith finished with four.

Hartford struggle coming out of the gate, missing their first four shot of the game as Binghamton worked an early 3-0 lead on a jumper from Mallory Lawes and a free throw from Sherae Swinson. Elliott put Hartford on the boards first with a free throw nearly three minutes into the game, while she also provided the Hawks first field goal with 16:33 to play in the first half a fast break layup. Smith would round out what was a 5-0 run for Hartford providing the first lead change and a 5-3 advantage for the visitors with just under four minutes gone by.

The Hawks maintained that lead for the next two minutes before back-to-back baskets from Jasbriell Swain and Swinson gave the home team an 11-10 lead with 12:34 remaining. Following that the teams would trade leads four times before back-to-back baskets from Cherelle Moore and Doherty provided a 21-16 lead, the largest in the first half for either squad to that point. Hartford would take a six-point advantage into the locker room at the break following a three pointer from Bultron which was the final basket of the half with 1:15 remaining.

Coming out of the intermission, neither team would hit a field goal for more than five minutes as the only points through the first four minutes came on a pair of free throws from Swinson for the Bearcats and Moore for the Hawks. The two free throws from Moore were the first of seven-straight points for the Hawks as they opened up a 31-20 lead with 13:59 to play in the game. Roth provided what was the first field goal for either team in the second half on a layup. While the final three points in the run came on the second three pointer of the night for Bultron.

After a three pointer from Binghamton's Stephanie Jensen the Hawks regained a double digit advantage on a layup from Elliott. That double digit lead evaporated over the next 2:30 as the Bearcats rattled off three straight layups as part of a 7-0 run to pull within a bucket 33-30 with 10:59 remaining. A turnaround jumper from Doherty broke the home team's momentum, but the Bearcats answered that with five more points to tie the game at 35.

Following that tie, Hartford sandwiched a pair of three pointers, one each from Bultron and Alyssa Englert, around a pair of free throws from the Bearcats. Those two three's gave Hartford a 41-37 advantage but they were also the last two field goals for the visitors who finished the final 5:26 going 0-of-7 down the stretch. They also connected on just 3-of-6 at the free throw line in that same span.

On the other end, Binghamton finished 3-of-3 in the final five minutes and were 2-of-4 at the free throw line to outscore Hartford 8-3 and score the conference opening victory.

Hartford returns to West Hartford for their next game, the first home game since the December 22 game against UConn. The Hawks welcome Boston University for their conference home opener on Saturday, January 5 with the opening tip scheduled for 2:00 p.m.