Box Score WENHAM, Mass.—Roger Williams overcame a first-half deficit with an even second half effort to hand host Gordon College a 54-44 loss. The Hawks held the Scots to a season-low in points and found enough offense in the second half to keep them unbeaten in the Commonwealth Coast Conference this year.
 
After Roger Williams took a 2-0 lead on the opening possession of the game, Gordon was able to take an advantage and keep it for the remainder of the half. The Fighting Scots had just enough on offense to keep the vaunted Hawks at an arm's distance in a plodding first half. Gordon led by as much as seven points in the first half at 14-7 when Sarah Gibbs (Elizabethtown, Pa.) finished off a nice entry pass from Jess Ryan (Milford, N.H.) with 3 minutes to go in the first quarter.
 
The score remained the same until the start of the second half when Roger Williams scored four straight to close things back to a single possession. Gordon rookie Alisha Henderson (Oregon City, Ore.) hit a high-arching triple just a few seconds later to put the Scots back up six, but the Hawks tied the score at 20 as the teams approached the break.
 
Spurred on by Meghan Foley (Malden, Mass.), Gordon was able to outscore the Hawks 6-2 over the final three minutes of the half to take a four-point edge after one.
 
Both teams struggled from the floor in the first half at 31 percent for the Scots and 29 for the Hawks through 20 minutes.
 
Offense was even harder to come by in the second half, but at 16-8 third quarter in favor of the visitors gave them their first lead since the opening minute of regulation. Gordon was able to hit on only two of its 16 attempts in the period to allow Roger Williams a 38-34 winning margin entering the final 10 minutes.
 
A three-pointer by Rebecca Ritchie (Hanover, Mass.) in the early stages of the fourth quarter put the Hawks up by seven and Gordon was never able to fully recover. Kristen Smith (Littleton, Mass.) hit a triple with eight minutes remaining to close the gap to four points, but the Hawks scored on back-to-back possessions and never led by fewer than eight the rest of the way.
 
Bridget Quilty (Duxbury, Mass.) led the way for the Hawks with 14 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high three blocks. Mariah Nicholas (Acushnet, Mass.) had 10 points off the bench, while Ritchie had 10 in a starting role. She also led the team with four steals.
 
Ryan was Gordon's top player with 13 points, five steals and three assists. Foley came off the bench and found her scoring touch again with 12 points, while adding nine boards. Gibbs had nine caroms.
 
The Fighting Scots held the Hawks to their second fewest points on the year and second-best effort by the Gordon defense this winter, just two points more than the 52 they allowed at Curry.
 
Both teams close out the first half of the conference slate on Tuesday. Gordon (5-10, 3-5 CCC) hosts Wentworth at 7:30 p.m. while Roger Williams (10-4, 8-0 CCC) takes on Endicott at home at 5:30 p.m.
 
- Release courtesy of the Gordon College Sports Information Department