KINGSTON, R.I. – In a game that featured 12 lead changes, the Saint Joseph's women's basketball team suffered a 69-61 defeat to league-leading Rhode Island on Wednesday evening inside the Ryan Center.
 
Five lead changes encompassed the opening 10 minutes of play, with Rhode Island (20-2, 11-0 A-10) jumping out to an early 11-4 advantage following an 8-0 run. Rhian Stokes scored the next five points to spark a response from the Hawks, who used a 7-0 run to tie the game. Kaylinn Bethea closed the quarter with five points, including a banked-in three-pointer with 14 seconds remaining, giving Saint Joseph's (15-7, 6-5 A-10) a 19-18 lead after one.
 
Both teams struggled to find rhythm in the second quarter, combining to shoot 8-for-27 from the field. Rhode Island held St. Joe's to eight points in the frame while edging the Hawks 10-8 to take a one-point advantage into halftime.
 
An 8-0 run by the Rams early in the third quarter helped build their lead to as many as six. Aleah Snead and Gabby Casey combined for 11 of the Hawks' 13 points in the period, with Snead finishing a three-point play in the final seconds to cut the deficit to 43-40 heading into the fourth.
 
Saint Joseph's opened the final frame with a 10-4 run, capped by a Snead 3-pointer to push the Hawks in front, 50-47. Rhode Island responded with eight straight points to reclaim control with five minutes to play. Despite closing the gap to one possession on multiple occasions down the stretch, the Rams answered each time to hold on for the 69-61 victory.


INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Aleah Snead and Gabby Casey combined for 41 of the Hawks' 61 points and 18 rebounds.
• Snead set a new career-high with 24 points, adding nine rebounds for her fourth 20-point performance of her career.
• Casey added 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting while pulling down nine rebounds. The back-to-back Atlantic 10 Player of the Week has averaged nearly 20 points per game over her last four outings.
• Kaylinn Bethea led the bench with nine points, matching her career high.
• Rhian Stokes chipped in seven points and a game-high five assists.
• Saint Joseph's shot 23-for-62 (37.1%) from the field and 5-for-21 (23.8%) from three-point range.
• Rhode Island finished 22-for-57 (38.6%) from the floor and 5-for-15 (33.3%) from beyond the arc, holding a 42-36 rebounding edge.
• The Rams attempted more than double the Hawks' free throws (25-12), converting 20 for an 80.0 percent clip. Saint Joseph's went 10-for-12 (83.3%) at the line.

 
UP NEXT
Saint Joseph's returns home to Hagan Arena to host Dayton on Saturday, Feb. 7. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+