SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team dropped a tight Conference of New England (CNE) matchup on Wednesday evening, falling 59–55 to Western New England at the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Roger Williams opened strong, shooting 58.3 percent from the field in the first quarter to take an 18–11 lead after 10 minutes. However, the Golden Bears controlled the tempo in the second quarter, outscoring the Hawks 13-9 to shorten Roger Williams' lead to just three points as RWU carried a close 27-24 edge into halftime.

Western New England responded in the third quarter, outscoring RWU 15–11 while holding the Hawks to 28.6 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Bears edged in front, 39-38, entering the fourth quarter.

The final quarter featured five ties and six lead changes. Roger Williams shot 36.4 percent in the fourth and went 8-of-10 from the free-throw line in the period, but Western New England converted 9-of-14 from the stripe in the final 10 minutes to secure the 59–55 decision.

Sophia Coppola (Madison, Conn.) led the Hawks with 22 points on 6-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. She added five rebounds, three assists, and a block in 33 minutes. Lilli Clark (Willimantic, Conn.) contributed 10 points with six rebounds, and one steal, while Chloe Richardson (Norwell, Mass.) finished with nine points, five rebounds, and a team-high six assists.

As a team, Roger Williams shot 38.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, while converting 83.3 percent at the free-throw line. The Hawks recorded 29 rebounds, including six offensive boards. RWU scored 11 fast-break points, eight second-chance points, and recorded 24 points in the paint.

The Golden Bears were led by Paige Winter and Perry Blasetti who both recorded 10 points each. Winter picked up one rebound and three steals, while Blasetti picked up eight rebounds. Hannah Blake chipped in nine points and two rebounds. Olivia Chrzan added eight points and six rebounds off the bench. Western New England shot 40.4 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent from three-point range, while finishing 59.1 percent from the line. WNE held a 36–29 advantage on the glass and scored 21 bench points.

Roger Williams (12-10, 8-5 CNE) will look to rebound in conference play as they host Gordon for senior day on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1:00pm in the Campus Recreation Center. The Hawks will then host JWU on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 5:30pm. Western New England (16-6, 10-3 CNE) will head to Wentworth on Saturday, Feb.14 ahead of hosting Nichols on Tuesday, Feb. 17.