TROY, N.Y.  1/8/04 - The Keene State College women's basketball team saw its record dip to 5-4 with a 60-52 non-conference loss to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Thursday night in Troy, N.Y.

Three Owls scored in double-figures in the game.  Sophomore guard Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass.) led the way 14 points.  Sophomore forward Stacey Morse (Lebanon, N.H.) finished with 13 points and freshman forward Sarah Begnoche (Millville, Mass.) had 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Hitting just eight of their first 40 shots, the Owls trailed 35-20 at the half.  KSC heated up in the second half and closed the deficit to four points (51-47) on a basket by senior forward Andrea Arsenault (Dover, N.H.) with 4:41 to play.  But Keene State was unable to catch the Red Hawks, who improve to 6-2.

"We got some good looks in the first half, but the ball wasn't going in for us," said KSC Coach Keith Boucher.  "We scrapped back into the game, but we dug ourselves too big of a hole."

Kristen Kaczynski had a game-high 20 points and Kaitlyn Saunders finished with 17 points to lead RPI.

KSC returns to Little East play on Saturday when they host sixth ranked Southern Maine in a 1 p.m. game at Spaulding Gym.

RPI receiving votes in most recent d3hoops.com Top 25 poll (Jan. 4)