PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Junior Cherelle Moore led the University of Hartford women's basketball team with a career-high 21 points and her second career double double adding 10 rebounds in a 69-52 loss to the Albany Great Danes in the opening game of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Hartford falls to 4-12 on the season and 1-2 in the America East Conference.

Moore's 21 points represented the only Hawk in double figures while classmate Amber Bepko added eight points to join freshman Alyssa Reaves with six points in leading the Hawks. Moore finished the game shooting 9-of-21 from the field and 3-of-5 at the free throw line while also adding a career-high five steals.

As a team, Hartford finished the game shooting 37 percent on 20-of-54, including making four of 14 attempts from beyond the three point arc. The Hawks also combined to finish 8-of-13 at the free throw line. Albany finished the game with a 43-30 advantage in the rebounding battle with Moore's 10 boards leading the Hawks. Sophomore Shereesha Richards led the Great Danes to the victory with 23 points and 18 rebounds, a career-high.

Coming out of the gate, the teams would trade the first six baskets of the afternoon, the last of which came from the Great Danes and began a 9-0 run that resulted in a 13-6 lead, erasing the Hawks only lead in the game at 6-4.

Hartford would end that run for Albany with the fourth basket of the game for Moore, who accounted for all of the first eight points for her squad. After a fast break layup from Bepko pulled Hartford within five at 15-10, the Great Danes rallied again, this time holding Hartford without a basket for more than eight minutes. That drought allowed Albany to open up a 16 point lead, 26-10 with 3:46 before the break.

That same differential stood at the half as the teams traded eight points evenly in the final three minutes with freshmen Reaves and Morgan Lumb scoring the Hawks points. Moore's eight points early in the half stood as the most in the first 20 minutes for Hartford.

Hartford came out of the halftime break scoring the first four points, with both baskets coming from Moore, the first as she picked off the Great Danes Tammy Phillip for the fast break opportunity. After calling an early timeout to halt the Hawks momentum, Albany re-took a 33-18 advantage before the Hawks rattled off seven straight, their longest rally of the afternoon, to pull within eight at 33-25 with 14:21 remaining.

Albany then sandwiched a three pointer from Shanise Bultron with a pair of rallies that equaled 11 points, resulting in the Great Danes regaining a 16 point advantage, 44-28, with 9:26 remaining.

The Hawks then cut that lead to 11 with back-to-back baskets, a three pointer from Bepko and a layup from Alyssa Englert on a second chance opportunity. That mini run for Hartford was short lived as the Great Danes then used a 12-0 rally to take a 56-33 lead, their largest of the game, with 4:53 remaining.

Hartford nearly erased that run by scoring 11-straight, the first eight of which came in a 36 second span with four points each from Moore and Reaves. Moore would add three point points on a steal and an old fashioned three point play to cut the Great Danes lead to 12, 56-44 with 2:21 remaining.

The Hawks would again cut the lead to 11, this time using a three pointer from Deanna Mayza, but coming with just 62 seconds remaining it would prove to be too late.

The Hawks continue a two-game home stand on Saturday, January 18 when they welcome the New Hampshire Wildcats to the Chase Family Arena. Hartford looks to build on recent momentum against the Wildcats, having won 21 of the last 22 match-ups, including three-straight. Hartford and New Hampshire are scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip, with all the action available in HD on the America East Digital Network (AmericaEast.tv).