KINGSTON, R.I.  – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team fell in double overtime heartbreak, going the distance but falling short against the league leaders in a 77-73 defeat inside the Ryan Center on Wednesday evening.

SJU has dropped five of the last six, falling to 15-7 on the year and 5-5 in the Atlantic 10. Rhode Island moves to 18-3 and 9-0 in the A-10.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hawks missed their first six shot attempts, allowing the Rams to get out to an early 6-0 lead. St. Joe's remained without a field goal into the media timeout, trailing 8-2 after a pair of Talya Brugler free throws.
• An 0-11 start from the field for the Crimson and Gray was cut by Mackenzie Smith, grabbing her first points to cut the deficit to 11-6 with a minute remaining in the first.
• Despite a 17-7 advantage on the glass (7-1 in offensive boards) for Rhode Island, the Rams converted just two second chance points for a 14-8 lead after 10 minutes.
• Rhody opened the second with a basket on its first possession, but a 7-0 Hawk run crept the Crimson and Gray just one point behind the hosts. SJU forced a near five-minute drought from the Rams in that run, a 16-15 URI advantage headed into the second quarter media timeout.
• Olivia Mullins cut a 7-0 Rhode Island run of her own, but the Hawks were outscored 9-2 over the course of the final three minutes. A Brugler triple at the buzzer cut the Hawk deficit to 27-22 headed into the break.
• On three separate occasions in the third quarter, the Hawks pulled within two points of the hosts, each time met with resistance as the Rams were able to push back to two possessions. Rhody's 6-0 run in just 55 seconds on the third time asking extended its advantage to 40-32, forcing a St. Joe's timeout.
• On the other end of the timeout, Brugler bookended a 10-2 run as the sophomore finished off a press break at the rim before hitting the second of back-to-back triples (Julia Nyström) to tie the game at 42-42.
• The Rams scored seven of the final nine points to take a 49-44 lead into the break.
• Rhode Island's lead crept all the way up to nine with 6:37 remaining, but the Hawks led one more charge throughout the finale of the fourth frame.
• A basket by Brugler cut the Rhody lead to 64-62 with just over a minute remaining, the Hawks getting a stop on the next possession. After an offensive foul call on Mullins, Katie Jekot forced an offensive foul on Rhode Island on the inbounds to get another chance.
• Brugler collected an offensive rebound with 7.9 seconds remaining before being fouled on the way up. The Nazareth, Pa. native coolly slotted home both free throws, Rhody missing on its last possession and the game was sent to overtime.
• Mullins started the overtime possession with a basket, neither team scoring over the next three minutes before a 4-0 Rhode Island run. With 21.5 seconds, the Hawks once again gained possession trailing by two. Mackenzie Smith drove to the basket and converted on the layup, blocking a potential winner as time expired on the other end to force a second overtime.
• Jekot started overtime off with a triple to give the Hawks an advantage, but a controversial travel no-call gave the Rams an equalizer, URI finding a second three to push the hosts ahead 74-71 with 1:35 remaining.
• Despite one last valiant attempt, the Hawks were unable to overcome the Ram advantage, falling 77-73 in double overtime.

GAME NOTES

• Talya Brugler had a game-high 24 points, adding six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Brugler played all 50 minutes in the defeat.
• Laura Ziegler produced yet another incredible performance in her freshman campaign. The rookie tallied eight points, adding 13 rebounds, a career-high seven blocks and matching a career-best with six assists. Ziegler played in 49 minutes.
• The seven blocks matches the most since Samira van Grinsven's seven blocks against Providence (November 12, 2012).
• Katie Jekot finished with eight points and eight rebounds, adding three assists.
• Olivia Mullins produced her fifth game in the conference with double figures, finishing with 10 points.
• St. Joe's shot 17-18 (94.4%) from the free throw line.
• The Hawks recorded season-lows with just eight points in the first quarter and 22 points at the break.
•  St. Joe's has fallen in back-to-back overtime games. The last time the Hawks played in two-straight OT games was in the 2014-15 season.
• Saint Joseph's hadn't had a double overtime game since 2010-11 in a 70-61 win over Princeton.
• Mayé Touré tallied an 18 point, 18 rebound double double.
• The Hawks were outrebounded 60-40 on the night, a 22-9 gap in offensive rebounds.

 
UP NEXT

• The Hawks get a week-long break before returning to Hagan Arena, facing VCU in a 7 p.m. showdown on February 8.