WENHAM, Mass. — The Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team delivered a commanding Conference of New England (CNE) performance on Tuesday evening, defeating Gordon College, 71–43, at the Bennett Center.
The Hawks set the tone early, jumping out to a 17–6 lead after the opening quarter while holding Gordon to 25.0 percent shooting from the field. The Hawks continued to control the tempo in the second quarter, outscoring the Fighting Scots 16–14 to carry a 33–20 advantage into halftime behind efficient ball movement and second-chance opportunities.
RWU pulled away decisively in the third quarter, limiting Gordon to just 23.5 percent shooting. The Hawks finished strong in the fourth, shooting 56.3 percent from the floor in the final period and closing the game on a 22–13 run to secure the 28-point road victory.
Lilli Clark (Willimantic, Conn.) led all scorers with 16 points on an efficient 8-of-9 shooting performance, adding a game-high 12 rebounds for a double-double. Ava Azzaro (Northampton, Mass.) provided a major spark off the bench, scoring 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting night while going 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Sophia Coppola (Madison, Conn.) chipped in nine points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, while Sydney Drinan (Sommers, Conn.) added six points in limited minutes.
Roger Williams finished the game shooting 47.5 percent from the field and held a 54–32 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive boards that led to 23 second-chance points. The Hawks scored 46 points in the paint and forced 18 turnovers, turning defense into 17 points off turnovers.
Gordon was led by Leah McGarvey with 21 points, six rebounds and a steal, but the Hawks held the Fighting Scots to just 21.5 percent shooting overall and 12.5 percent from the field in the fourth quarter.
Roger Williams (12-7, 8-2 CNE) will continue conference play as they face off against University of New England on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1pm in Maine. The Hawks will then return home to host Endicott on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 5:30pm in the Campus Recreation Center.
