CLINTON, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team outscored host Hamilton 29-27 in the final 20 minutes of play but the Pioneers could not overcome a 25-11 halftime deficit in a 52-40 loss Monday night.  Utica senior guard Ashley Mayo (Bronx, NY/Nanuet) scored a team-high 16 points and added seven rebounds and four steals.

The Pioneers (2-2) will look to snap a two game slide on Wednesday when they wrap up a three game road trip at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Hamilton remained unbeaten and improved to 4-0 overall on the season.

Utica's Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) scored 10 points, while Briannah Florian (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain) added six points and four rebounds.  Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) paced the Pioneers with nine rebounds.

Hamilton's Marie Steiner came off the bench and scored a team-high 13 points.  Halie Serbent added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Continentals.

Hamilton jumped out to a quick 13 point lead, 15-2, in the first ten minutes of action. The home team extended its lead to 16 points, 25-9, late in the second half and was able to manage a 14 point lead as the halftime horn sounded, 25-11.

UC started the second half on a 5-2 run and saw their deficit dwindle to 27-16 with 8:12 left in the third quarter following a made free throw from Mayo. Hamilton almost immediate pushed its lead back to 16 points, 34-18, before another Pioneer run that made the score 34-24 with 2:09 left in the third.

Mayo drilled a 3-pointer with 6:47 left in regulation to pull Utica to within seven points, 41-34. The Pioneers were able to keep within seven points with 1:51 remaining, 46-39, but the Continentals outscored UC 6-1 down the stretch to earn the 12 point victory.

Hamilton's bench play finished the night with 20 points as the Continentals never trailed in the contest.

Freshman Kimberly Soriano (Queens, NY/Monsignor McClancey Memorial) scored five points off the bench for Utica.