BALTIMORE, Md. – Freshman Deanna Mayza rattled off 20 points to lead the Hawks for the second straight game as the University of Hartford women's basketball team defeated Loyola 59-53 on Thursday night at Reitz Arena. The Hawks improve to 1-1 in the young season, while the Greyhounds drop to 0-2.

"One of our goals was to play harder than the last game," said head coach Jennifer Rizzotti. "At times we were sloppy but tonight we toughed out a win."

Mayza's 20 points led two other Hawks in double figures, joined by Amber Bepko with 13 and Cherelle Moore who came off the bench to add 10. Hartford finished the night shooting 28 percent overall (14-of-50), but made 7-of-22 three pointers and converted 24-of-30 free throw attempts.

Mayza led Hartford's free throw shooting as she finished 10-of-11 overall, including making 8-of-8 in the final 3:10 of the game. "It's always a team effort and my team got me open shots tonight," said the freshman point guard. "Down the stretch, coach told me to attack the basket and get to the line. I just told myself I was going to knock down my free throws."

"Tonight proved one of the reasons we were psyched to sign her [Mayza]," said Rizzotti. "She is a tough kid who makes plays down the stretch. I also thought she was very solid defensively."

Hartford also won the battle of the boards with a 43-42 advantage, led by freshman Alyssa Reaves who grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds. Seventeen more of the Hawks rebounds came from the starting five as La'Trice Hall and Bepko each grabbed six, while Milana Gilbert added five. Mayza led Hartford with three assists, while she picked off a pair of Loyola passes. Moore finished with three steals to lead the Hawks.

A game of runs over the first 15 minutes of the game as Hartford began by erasing a 4-3 deficit with an 11-0 run, which provided a 14-4 lead with 13:47 remaining before the break. That run included five-straight points from the Hawks halftime leader, Deanna Mayza, who finished the first 20 minute with seven points. Her two baskets in the run were a three pointer off a feed from classmate Alyssa Reaves and a fast break steal and layup 21 seconds later.

Diana Logan broke up the Hawks momentum with a jumper after nearly four minutes scoreless. Her jump shot sparked a 6-0 run that Hartford answered with a 7-0 rally ignited by a three pointer from Bultron seconds after entering the game.

Loyola responded by matching that run with seven of their own, five of which came at the free throw line. After a three pointer from Nai Brown pulled the Greyhounds within three, the closest they would get in the half, Cherelle Moore broke a nearly six minute drought without a field goal on a jumper in the lane.

Hartford's last bucket of the half came on a layup from freshman La'Trice Hall who was fouled on the play. Loyola would close out the half with a three pointer with 36 seconds remaining as Hartford held the Greyhounds without a basket on the final possession thanks to a blocked three point attempt with senior Alyssa Englert providing the defense.

Hartford finished the opening half shooting 36.4 percent from the field (8-of-22), while holding Loyola to just 25 percent from the floor (8-of-32). The Hawks also took a 22-20 rebounding edge into the locker room with freshmen Reaves and Hall leading the way with five and four, respectively.

The second half was much more of a back-and-forth battle with neither team putting together more than a four point run. After Reaves opened the second half scoring with a layup 63 second in, Loyola sank a three pointer to pull within three points with a three pointer from Kara Marshall.

Hall would extend the Hawks lead back to six with a pair of free throws with 16:07 remaining, but the Greyhounds would battle back to get as close as two points with back-to-back layups from Tiffany Padgett. Hartford would break up Padgett's mini-rally with a three pointer from Bepko. The junior guard would also give the Hawks their largest lead of the second half with her second long range basket of the stanza, which provided a 51-43 cushion with 5:23 remaining.

Loyola would cut that lead to four before Mayza began to close out the contest at the free throw line sinking four pairs of free throws under pressure. Hartford's defense held Loyola to just one basket in the final four minutes of the contest earning the first victory in the 2013-14 season by a 59-53 margin.

A three-game, season-opening, road stretch for the Hawks comes to a close when they travel to Providence, RI. on Wednesday, November 20. Hartford will meet the Providence Friars in a rematch of last season's 66-39 Hartford win that opened the month of December. The Hawks and Friars are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip off at Alumni Hall.