ALBANY, N.Y. – Senior Nikkia Smith led all players with 18 points, but the Hartford women's basketball team (21-11 overall) dropped a 61-52 decision to the Albany Great Danes in the title game of the 2013 America East Championship presented by SEFCU Arena. Smith, who was named to the All-Championship Team, was the only Hawk who finished in double figures.

Smith finished the game making eight of her 20 field goal attempts, while she was also 2-of-2 at the free throw line. Overall, Hartford shot 35.2 percent from the field on 19-of-54, including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc (41.7 percent). The Hawks also finished 9-of-13 at the free throw line (69.2 percent). Following Smith in leading the team was sophomore Shanise Bultron who finished with seven. Daphne Elliott and Amber Bepko each finished with six, while Ruthanne Doherty chipped in five.

Albany also won the battle of the boards with a 38-31 margin, with Doherty leading Hartford with six. Katie Roth added five for the Hawks. The Hawks did force Albany into 17 turnovers, collecting nine steals, led by Alex Hall who finished with four.

After trading the first three buckets to open the game with a 5-2 Albany lead, the Hawks would score six straight to take their first lead of the game 8-5. That lead came courtesy of a four-point play from Bepko who was fouled on a three pointer.

The Great Danes answered that run with one of their own, scoring 10-straight and taking a 15-8 lead with 14:31 left before the half. Megan Craig would provide six of the 10 points, with the other four coming from Julie Forster, both of her buckets of which came off of Hartford turnovers. The Hawks would break that run with a layup from Doherty and after a three pointer from Lindsay Lowrie pulled within four on back-to-back baskets from Doherty and Smith.

After trading the next two baskets, the Great Danes rebuilt an eight point lead, 24-16, on back-to-back layups from Forster and Shereesha Richards. The second of those baskets would be the final for Albany in the first half as their only other point before the intermission came at the free throw line.

The Hawks would outscore Albany 10-1 in the final 6:19 of the half to take a 26-25 edge into the locker room. Included in that run would be the final six points of the half on a jumper from Smith and two from Bultron.

Coming out of the locker room both teams would score their first points at the free throw line, two from Bepko for Hartford and then three for the Great Danes that tied the score at 28, the first stalemate of the contest. Hartford would break the deadlock with a three pointer from Bultron before the Great Danes scored the next four and took a 32-31 lead with 14:38 remaining.

Hartford answered that by scoring back-to-back baskets, a three pointer from Elliott and a jump shot from Smith that provided a 36-32 edge with 12:08 on the clock. The teams would then trade the next four baskets before the Great Danes mustered their second 10-0 run of the contest, this one ending with a 46-40 edge for the home team.

Hartford would end the Great Danes run with a three pointer from Alyssa Englert at the 6:34 mark, but Albany was able to regain a six point edge with 5:18 remaining. Hartford would then begin a defensive stand that held the Great Danes to one bucket in a span of 4:30, which allowed Hartford to tie the score at 52, the third draw of the night, with 1:38 remaining. Albany would go on to score the final nine points of the night and secure their second-straight America East title 61-52.

The Hawks will now await a Monday night announcement by the Women's Postseason NIT that will determine if the Hawks receive their second at-large bid into the postseason tournament.