WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (November 14, 2015) - Sophomore guard Dorothy O'Neill (Staten Island, N.Y.) recorded a team-high 18 points, but the Western New England University women's basketball team dropped a 71-45 decision to Rhode Island College earlier today in the championship game of the USJ Tip-Off Tournament at the O'Connell Center on the campus of the University of Saint Joseph.

O'Neill also added three assists and two steals, while senior forward Chelsea Vujs (Berlin, Conn.) was named to the All-Tournament team after registering 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with four rebounds and two assists. Freshman forward Aliyah Brito (Brockton, Mass.) pulled down a team-high six rebounds in her second collegiate contest, and junior guard Kathleen Rafanelli (Exeter, R.I.) chipped in with four points, three rebounds and two steals.
Rhode Island College was led by Tournament MVP Devin Hill (Danielson, Conn.), who totaled a career-high 33 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three point range. Hill also hit all seven of her free throws and recorded five rebounds and a pair of steals. Junior guard Alex Moore (West Newbury, Mass.) posted the game's only double-double with 21 points, ten rebounds and six assists, while classmate Meghan Reall (Smithfield, R.I.) added seven points and three rebounds.

The Anchorwomen scored the first four points of the game on layups by Moore and Hill, respectively, and led by four (10-6) midway through the first quarter after a jumper by O'Neill. Rhode Island College posted a 9-0 run over the next three minutes, however, opening up a 19-6 advantage before a three-pointer by O'Neill cut the Western New England deficit to ten (19-9). O'Neill finished the quarter with nine points as the Golden Bears trailed by 12 (25-13) after ten minutes.

Powered by a trio of three-pointers, Rhode Island College outscored Western New England 17-8 in the second quarter and opened up a 42-21 lead at halftime. The Anchorwomen extended their lead to as many as 25 (52-27) in the third quarter following a free throw by sophomore Rybecca Gonzalez (Pawtucket, R.I.) at the 5:35 mark, but the Golden Bears were able to cut it back down to 22 (56-34) on a jumper by Vujs with two seconds remaining in the quarter.

A layup by senior guard Amanda Lopez (Windsor, Conn.) midway through the fourth brought Western New England's deficit below 20 (58-40), before Rhode Island College answered with a 13-0 run to put the game out of reach.

Western New England (1-1, 0-0 CCC) returns to action on Tuesday night with a non-conference contest at crosstown rival Springfield College, while Rhode Island College (2-0, 0-0 LEC) will hit the road for a game at Emmanuel College on Thursday night.