KEENE, N.H. – The RPI women's basketball team mounted a second-half comeback and erased a 13-point deficit, but ultimately came up just short in a 52-49 road defeat to Keene State College on Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gym. The Engineers held the Owls to just 12 points after halftime but were unable to complete the comeback, moving to 1-1 on the season.
Amanda Gallagher and
Bianka Velovic paced the Engineers with 10 points apiece, with Velovic connecting on 4-of-5 attempts from the floor.
Niamh Gendron collected a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with six points and two blocks, while
Callie Flynn added eight points, 10 rebounds, and a game-high four blocks.
Sydney Blaney provided seven points off the bench on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting performance as RPI held a commanding 45-30 advantage on the glass.
After falling behind 12-5 midway through the opening quarter, the Engineers responded with nine unanswered points to close the period. Flynn sparked the rally with consecutive transition layups before Gallagher connected on a pair of free throws to trim the deficit to one.
Megan Heyns evened the contest at 12-12 from the charity stripe, and Blaney converted a layup in the closing seconds to give RPI a 14-12 advantage after 10 minutes.
Keene State opened the second quarter with consecutive three-pointers to regain the lead, but RPI continued to answer behind a strong offensive effort from Velovic. The Engineers received eight points from Velovic in the period, including three consecutive layups that helped pull RPI even at 27-27 midway through the quarter.
However, the Owls caught fire from beyond the arc, connecting on six three-pointers during the second quarter to build an 11-point advantage. Keene State closed the period on a 13-2 run, taking a 40-29 lead into halftime behind 28 second-quarter points.
The Engineers responded with a tremendous defensive effort coming out of the break, holding Keene State to just four points on 2-of-17 shooting in the third quarter. Gendron opened the scoring for RPI before Flynn added a transition layup and Blaney connected on a jumper to cut into the deficit. Velovic converted a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to bring the Engineers within seven, 44-37, entering the final period.
RPI carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, opening with a 7-0 run to erase the remaining deficit. Gallagher connected from beyond the arc before Velovic added a layup, and
Brooke Boyle finished inside to even the score at 44-44 with under seven minutes remaining.
Keene State briefly reclaimed the lead on a three-pointer from Brynn Rautiola, but Gallagher answered with another triple to tie the contest at 47-47. After the Owls converted a pair of free throws,
Sophie Costello responded with two of her own to pull the Engineers even again at 49-49 with just under three minutes remaining.
The teams traded defensive stops in the closing minutes before Keene State's Kiley Bundy connected on a jumper to give the Owls a 51-49 advantage with 1:44 remaining. RPI had multiple opportunities to answer down the stretch, but the Engineers were unable to convert on their final possessions. Bundy added a free throw in the final second to seal the three-point victory for Keene State.
RPI finished the afternoon shooting 36.7% from the field while limiting Keene State to just 25.4% shooting, including a combined 4-of-35 performance from the Owls in the second half. The Engineers outscored Keene State 20-12 after halftime and held a 26-18 advantage in the paint, while recording nine blocked shots as a team.
The Engineers also received 26 points from their bench, but 22 turnovers and a 9-for-20 performance at the free-throw line proved costly in the narrow defeat. Rautiola paced Keene State with a game-high 22 points, while Bella Schultz-Mitchell added 14 points and nine rebounds as the Owls improved to 3-0 on the season.
