TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team led for three quarters and carried a five-point cushion into the fourth, but St. Lawrence closed at the line to edge the Engineers, 68–63, inside ECAV Arena.

RPI set the tone with an 8–2 burst fueled by Brooke Boyle's paint touches and Emilia Rojik's early finishes, pushing in transition to a 16–12 lead after one and extending to 31–25 at half when graduate guard Siena Smith strung together a layup and a fast-break three. The margin reached eight late in the third as Smith drilled another right-wing triple and Sophie Costello hit a lane jumper, and Smith's buzzer-beating layup preserved a 50–45 advantage through three. 

The Saints rallied at the stripe in the final period. After free throws pulled the visitors within one, Niamh Gendron stemmed the tide with a driving layup for 52–49, but St. Lawrence grabbed its first lead on a Norah Niesz jumper and surged ahead for good on her corner three with 5:14 left.

Smith answered from mid-range to make it 59–56 at 2:42, yet the Saints converted six more free throws down the stretch while RPI missed four in the final 40 seconds. Tyler Hormazabal knifed for two late layups and Molly Libby buried a buzzer three to trim the final margin, but the comeback fell short, 68–63. 

Boyle and Smith shared team-high honors with 14 points apiece. Boyle added five boards, while Smith hit a pair of threes and finished 6-for-10 from the floor. Costello posted eight points and four assists, Rojik supplied eight points with six rebounds and a block, and Gendron grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to anchor the glass. Hormazabal filled the columns with four points, four assists and three steals.

The Engineers travel to Bard next weekend before hitting the holiday break.