WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Senior Irene Primo and junior Kymilondra Nance notched career-highs of 19 and 10 points, respectively, as the Hartford women's basketball team dropped a, 76-52, decision against UMBC on Thursday. The Hawks fall to 0-13 on the season, while the Retrievers improve to 3-8 on the year.
 
UMBC 76, HARTFORD 52
After trading baskets through the opening minutes of the contest, UMBC used a 7-0 run to take an 11-4 lead with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter. Hartford found its way to keep the game within striking distance, heading into the first break trailing 22-18 after Nance propelled the Hawks, scoring six straight points to close out the opening frame. The Retrievers began to pull away in the second, opening up a 12-point lead in the waning minutes of the first half. However, Hartford would fight back, using buckets from freshman Tatum Forbes and sophomore Brianna Williams to head into the halftime break trailing, 38-28.
 
After the break, UMBC extended its advantage up to 15, utilizing a 7-2 run to open up the second half. Sophomore Ta'Nya Outten would bring the game to as close as 45-32 with 5:07 remaining in the third, after converting on a layup and heading to the line for an and-one opportunity. The Retrievers would regain their momentum heading into the fourth with a 54-35 lead. The sides went back-and-forth in the fourth quarter as UMBC maintained a 64-44 lead with 4:57 left in the game. The lead would prove to be too much, as the Hawks fell to the Retrievers, 76-52.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Primo led all scorers, finishing with a career-high 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc
• Nance finished the game with another career-high, scoring 10 points off the bench
• Forbes notched her 100th points of her career, finishing with eight on the night
• The Hawks as a team grabbed a season-high 36 rebounds

NEXT ON TAP
Hartford hits the road for seven-straight, starting on Friday, Dec. 30 traveling to Loretto, Pa., to take on Saint Francis. Tipoff between the Hawks and Red Flash is set for 7 p.m. at DeGol Arena.