BRISTOL, R.I. — The fourth-seeded Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team dropped a hard-fought 64-61 Commonwealth Coast Conference Quarterfinal contest to the fifth-seeded Colonels of Curry College Tuesday evening.
 
The game was neck and neck the entire way, with both teams combining for 13 ties and 14 lead changes. Neither team led by more than six at any point in the game.
 
Molly Plunkett (Quincy, Mass.) sank a layup for the first score of the game before Sam Leone (Ashland, Mass.) later gave RWU a 4-2 advantage. RWU would be held scoreless over a four-minute stretch that saw Curry go ahead by four. The Colonels would eventually take a 16-12 lead going into the second quarter.
 
Emily Irwin (Billerica, Mass.) scored on Curry's opening possession to make it an 18-12 game, Curry's biggest lead of the night. The Hawks would then utilize an 11-0 run capped off by an Emily Yonych (Cheshire, Conn.) layup to go up 23-18 with just over six minutes left in the half. Curry would rally late with a layup in the final second to hold a 30-27 advantage.
 
Gabby Jerahian (Quincy, Mass.) dropped a three-pointer on the opening RWU possession to knot the game at 30. The entire third quarter was back and forth the entire way, with neither team going up by more than three. Similar to halftime, Curry held a three-point lead going into the fourth.
 
Similar to the third, both teams traded baskets throughout the period. Irwin scored six straight points later in the quarter, including the go-ahead jumper with 51 seconds left to put the Colonels up 61-59. Margarita Delaporta (Canton, Mass.) later hit a pair of clutch free throws with 27 seconds to tie the game at 27.
 
On the ensuing possession, a Hawk foul sent Irwin back to the line for a pair. She would hit the first but missed the second, allowing Karli Opalka (Southbury, Conn.) to grab the rebound and call a timeout to advance the ball. Strong inbound defense by Curry forced the Hawks to call their final timeout. When RWU came out of the break, Curry continued to pressure the inbound, leading RWU to attempt call another timeout. The violation on RWU led to a pair of technical foul free throws for Amanda Leal (Tyngsborough, Mass.).
 
Leal would split the shots, followed by Curry retaining possession. Another Hawk foul sent Leal back to the line with five seconds remaining. She hit the first and missed the second, with Delaporta getting the board. She would push the ball up the court but was unable to get the shot off before time expired, as Curry escaped with the win.
 
Irwin finished with a game-high 32 points and 12 rebounds to go along with five assists and three steals. Leal added 12 points and five boards with Plunkett chipping in with seven points and seven caroms.
 
Opalka had a career-high 23 points along with 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double. Leone added 14 points and five rebounds, while Jerahian went for 12 points and five boards.
 
Curry (15-11) heads to top-seeded Endicott in the CCC Semifinals. Roger Williams ends the year at 13-13.