Seahawk streak ends at eight

BRISTOL, R.I. - The Roger Williams University women's basketball team extended its winning streak to five straight with a 66-61 victory over Salve Regina University Saturday afternoon, ending the Seahawks' win streak at eight.

The win for RWU moves the Hawks into third place in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, going to 6-3 in the CCC and 10-6 overall. Salve Regina falls to 6-3 in the CCC and 9-7 overall.

The Hawk offense jumped out of the gate, with Alexandria Lanieri (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) putting in a layup, followed by an Elizabeth Kilzi (Waverly, Pa.) three-pointer for a 5-0 RWU lead. Those baskets would help Roger Williams open the game on a 16-4 run, capped off by a Courtney Yost (Halifax, Mass.) layup.

The Hawks went up by as many as 14 in the half (20-6) before Salve Regina cut the deficit to six. Meaghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) knocked down a jumper with 6:22 left in the half to make it a 22-16 game in favor of RWU. However, the Hawks brought the lead back to to close out the half, taking a 36-26 lead into halftime.

The Hawks kept the lead in double figures early on in the second half before the Seahawks utilized a 10-0 run (eight by Harden), to close a 12-point deficit and make it a two-point game (38-40) with 13:25 left.

The Seahawks remained within striking distance through the rest of the game, but Roger Williams would not let them overtake the lead. The Hawk lead hovered between two and seven from that point on, with Kaitlyn Bovee (Berlin, Conn.) putting RWU back up by ten (61-51) with a three-point play at the 5:12 mark.

From there, the Hawks maintained the advantage, with Salve coming no closer than four over the rest of the game. RWU held on for its fifth straight victory, the team's longest win streak since 2010.

Lanieri earned her third double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds for RWU. Bovee finished one rebound shy of a double-double, going for 17 points and nine boards (seven offensive). Kilzi added 12 points, while Ari Renwick (Westwood, Mass.) had five points and a career-high six steals.

Harden led all scorers with 24 points to go along with four rebounds. Brianna Del Valle (Belchertown, Mass.) notched a double-double with ten points and 12 rebounds. Kaitlyn Birrell (Hope, R.I.) went for 13 points and eight assists.

Roger Williams plays Eastern Nazarene at home on Wednesday, while Salve Regina hosts Endicott next, also on Wednesday.