RESULT: Providence 77, Hartford 65
RECORDS: Hartford (3-2); Providence (4-0)
LOCATION: Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion (West Hartford, Conn.)

THE LEAD:

The University of Hartford women's basketball team dropped a 77-65 decision to visiting Providence on Tuesday night at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion. Senior Deanna Mayza scored a game-best 18 points for the Hawks, who were unable to recover from the Friars' hot shooting in the third quarter.
 
In a first half that featured seven lead changes, the Friars shot 71.4 percent in the decisive third quarter to go up, 62-44. Hartford went to work in the final stanza, trimming its deficit down to six with three minutes remaining, but fell short of the comeback. Freshman Sierra DaCosta contributed 15 points for Hartford in the losing effort, while Providence landed five players in double figures, led by 16 points from Maddie Jolin.

FIRST HALF:
A series of runs by both sides resulted in a back-and-forth first half that featured seven lead changes and four ties. Using a pair of three-pointers from Jolin and Yoyo Nogic, the Friars took a slight, 11-8 edge with 4:20 left in the first. But Hartford put together the first significant run of the game, scoring seven-straight points within a 74 second stretch to go up, 15-11. Three different Hawks contributed to that rally, which was sparked by a Lindsey Abed jumper and capped by a nifty Mayza layup.

Providence regained its advantage, though, responding with a run of its own to close out the quarter. After ending the stanza with a 7-0 run to reclaim a three-point edge at 18-15, the Friars kept the rally going in the start of the second, extending their lead to five in the opening minute on a layup by Ny'Dajah Jackson. The next three minutes were all Hartford, as the Hawks pushed back in front at 27-24 using a 12-4 rally that featured two big DaCosta plays – a three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play. The lead wouldn't last long, though, as the Friars scored the next nine points of the game to push ahead by a 33-27 count before taking a 35-31 lead into the break
 
SECOND HALF:
The Friars benefited from a hot third quarter, creating a double-digit advantage behind 71.4 percent shooting (10-of-14) from the field. Two significant runs – a 10-0 spurt and a 12-2 rally – pushed Providence's lead to 18 (59-41) with less than 30 seconds left in the stanza. An exchange of three-pointers in the closing seconds would make it a 62-44 game heading into the fourth.
 
Midway through the fourth, Hartford mounted a comeback, closing a 15-point deficit down to six in the closing minutes of the game. Using a 9-2 rally sparked by a Janelle Harrison layup at the 5:50 mark, Mayza netted the Hawks' next seven points on a three, a jumper and a pair of free throws to close the gap to 69-61 with 3:55 to go. Following two Providence makes from the charity stripe, Hartford pulled within six (71-65) with three minutes to go on an Abed jumper and a Hall fast break bucket, but was held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• At the half, the Hawks shot a first-half season-best clip of 46.7 percent from the field (14-of-30) as they trailed the Friars by four at 35-31.
• DaCosta led all scorers with nine points at the break.
• Mayza's 18 points marked the fifth-straight game the senior guard has registered double figures. She knocked down 7-of-15 shots and added four assists.
• Abed, who added eight points and three steals, matched her career high in assists with six.
• Hartford was whistled for 12 more fouls than Providence (23-12) and attempted 12 fewer free-throws than the Friars. The Hawks went 4-for-5 from the line, while the Friars cashed in on 16-of-19 on the evening.
• Providence shot 51.9 percent (27-of-52) overall, including 71.4 percent (10-of-14) in the decisive third quarter.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Dishing out four assists, Mayza moved into fourth-place in Hartford's record books in assists with 348 in her career. She also moved up in the rankings in made three-point field goals, as she now ranks eighth with 111.
• The Friars improved to 7-4 with their second-straight win in the series.
• The setback snapped a two-game winning streak for Hartford.

 
UP NEXT:
Following the Thanksgiving holiday, the Hawks hit the road for Bethlehem, Pa., where they will play two games as part of the Lehigh Christmas City Classic. Hartford opens up the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 26, against Monmouth at 2 p.m.