KEENE, N.H. 1/4/05 - The Keene State College women's basketball team had its four game winning streak come to an end with a 57-52 non-conference loss to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Spaulding Gym on Tuesday night.

Keene State falls to 8-3 while RPI (2-7) snapped its seven game losing streak.

Kaitlyn Saunders (Windsor, Conn.) had a game high 24 points to lead the Red Hawks.

Bri Barnes (Merrimack, N.H.) had 18 points to lead the Owls. Stacey Morse (Lebanon, N.H.) scored 10 points and Sarah Begnoche (Millville, Mass.) finished with nine rebounds.

Keene State ended the first half with a 7-2 run to take a slim 23-21 lead at the break. Cathy Mechare (Falls Village, Conn.) and Barnes hit back-to-back three-pointers during the run. Both teams struggled from the field. The Owls shot just 26% (9-for-34) while RPI hit 8-of-23 shots (34%).

Rensselaer took its largest lead 49-34 on a jumper by Nicole Van Slyke (Poestenkill, N.Y). at the 5:45 mark of the second half. KSC scrambled to get back in the game. Consecutive three-pointers by Barnes and Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass.) got the deficit down to two points (54-52) with 27 seconds left to play. After being fouled Saunders went to the line and hit a pair of free throws to put RPI up for good 56-52.

Both teams committed 27 turnovers in the game.

Keene State returns to Little East Conference play when they travel to Southern Maine on Saturday (1 p.m.).