The University of Hartford women's basketball team raced out to an early lead and never turned back as the Hawks claimed the 59-41 win over Bryant & Stratton – Albany Saturday at the Chase Family Arena in Reich Family Pavilion.
 
Hartford scored the first nine points of the game, but the visiting Bobcats seemed to settle in with a 12-3 run spanning the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second to pull to within two.
 
Freshman Ella Marchesani capped a 22-5 run that stretched the second and third quarters, pushing the Hartford lead to 18 points. Freshman Taryn Blevins scored eight of the 22 points in the game-changing spurt.
 
Blevins finished with a team-high 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Marchesani added 10 points off the bench. Sophomore Paige Loughman continued her stretch of inspired play, pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds – including nine on the offensive end.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Hartford pulled down 55 rebounds, the second-most on the season. For the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Hawks outrebounded an opponent by double figures. They outrebounded the Bobcats by 20, 55-35.
• The Hawks had a season-high 25 offensive rebounds, leading to 15 second-chance points.
• Freshman Madison Baird hauled in a career-high eight rebounds.
• Nine of the 10 players that saw minutes found the scorebook.
• Six players played at least 20 minutes.
• Hartford attempted a season-low six points, making a season-low four.
• It was the third time this season Hartford attempted at least 30 three-pointers.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
Hartford (5-2 overall), riding a three-game winning streak, travels to Buffalo, N.Y. to face Villa Marie College.