CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Led by junior Cherelle Moore, who finished with 11 points, the University of Hartford women's basketball dropped its opening game at the Miami Thanksgiving Tournament to Missouri by a 68-45 final. The Hawks (1-6 overall) will face St. Francis (N.Y.) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the consolation game.

Moore was the only Hartford player to finish in double figures, her fourth game of the season with 10 or more points. The Junior guard made five of her eight field goal attempts and was also 1-of-2 at the free throw line. She also collected four rebounds and grabbed one steal. Junior Amber Bepko finished second overall with seven points, while classmate Shanise Bultron added six points. A total of 10 Hawks provided at least one point in the game.

As a team, Hartford finished the game shooting 32.7 percent from the field, making 18-of-55 attempts. Included in the 18 field goals were four three pointers, with the Hawks shooting 19 percent from beyond the arc (4-of-21). Missouri finished the game shooting 40.4 percent (23-of-57) including eight free throws. Bri Kulas led three Tigers in double figures with 24 points.

Hartford's first three baskets in the game all call from beyond the three point arc, the first two of which were from Bulton. After opening the game with her first triple off the opening tip, the Tigers went on to score the next six points for the first and only lead change of the contest. Bultron would then break of the Missouri rally with her second three pointer, tying the game at six.

After three more ties, the Tigers opened up their first double digit lead using a 16-2 run that resulted in a 29-15 advantage with 4:05 remaining before the halftime intermission. The lone Hawks basket in that stretch came by way of an Alyssa Englert jump shot.

Following that run the teams would close out the half trading baskets until reaching a 35-22 halftime tally. The last basket of the half came in favor of the Hawks courtesy of senior Taylor Clark. Bultron's two three pointers led the Hawks in the first half as she finished with six points followed by five each from Bepko and Deanna Mayza.

Coming out of the break, Hartford pressured the Tigers, draining the deficit to as low as six points, 43-37 with 15:19 remaining in the game. Included in the first five minutes of the second half was a pair of 6-0 runs for the Hawks, the first of which included back-to-back layups from Milana Gilbert. The second rally all came thanks to baskets from Moore.

After a free throw from Moore that made it a seven point game, the Tigers pulled their advantage back into double figures using an 8-0 run which ended in a 53-38 lead. A Bepko jump shot broke up that rally and pulled the Hawks within 13 with 10:55 remaining.

That basket was the last for Hartford until the final 60 seconds as the Tigers opened up their largest lead of the game at 68-40 with 88 seconds remaining. The Hawks would score the final five points of the game but the deficit would prove to large. Moore would close out her team-leading 11 points by adding four of the final five points.