Danbury, CT:  The Ramapo College women's basketball team suffered a tough 50-52 loss tonight to the Colonials of Western Connecticut State University in the opening round of the Hat City Tournament.  With the loss the Roadrunners fall to .500 at 5-5 overall while WCS improves to 7-3 overall on the year.
 
Emma Belcourt led the Colonials with a game high 16 points and Kaitlyn LaBonte added ten as the team hit a combined 20-62 (32%) from the field.  Alecia Dulaire pulled down ten rebounds and Gabrielle Hurlbert dished out three assists while LaBonte grabbed five steals in the win. 
 
The Roadrunners would get on the scoreboard first in the game but the Colonials would quickly respond to tie the game at 4-4 with a basket from Samantha Smith.  WCS would work to a six point advantage at the end of the first period after Belcourt hit a three-pointer to go ahead, 15-8 and Ramapo's Jina Crawford would hit a free throw to finish the period with WCS ahead, 15-9.  In the second, the Colonials pushed to a double-digit, 11-point edge with a jumper from Belcort at 8:45 (20-9), but Crawford sparked a 9-0 Ramapo run to come within just two points at 5:29 with a jumper form Bintou Berete. (20-22).  The Colonials would lead by three, 31-28, at the halftime buzzer as Belcourt led with 14 points.  The team went 12-31 (39%) in the half and Dulaire pulled down a team leading five rebounds. 
 
Western Connecticut would lead the rest of the game, taking a nine point lead in the third period with 5:39 on the clock when Belcourt hit a lay up to go ahead 37-28.  Ramapo strung together a 6-0 run, capped off with a two-point goal from Bridgette Buckalew to close the gap, 34-37, but it wasn't enough as the Colonials worked to an eight-point advantage with under four minutes to play in the game after Smith nailed down a jumper.  Ramapo pushed to string together seven points and come within one, 48-49 with a layup from Tia Solomon with 2:33 to play, but it would be WCS who came out on top by two, 52-50 in the end. LaBonte led the way in the second half with seven points and Dulaire added six, as the team hit a combined 8-31 (26%).  Berete led Ramapo with five points and the team went 8-29 (28%) in the half.
 
Berete led the Roadrunners on the night with 13 points and Crawford added 11 as the team went 19-60 (32%) from the field.  Crawford pulled down 11 boards and Kellie Lane, Shelby Ringer and Crawford each contributed two assists. 
 
Ramapo returns to action tomorrow in a consolation match-up verse Trinity/Wheaton at 2pm.