NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's basketball team cruised to a 68-41 victory over the University of Hartford on Saturday afternoon at Luce Field House.

The Camels used a smothering defense to force 31 turnovers and held the Hawks to just 29-percent shooting for the game. Addi Hunter (Saint George, Vt.) led three players in double digits with 16 points and six rebounds. Catie Donadio (Clinton, Conn.) and Mia Xerras (Charlotte, N.C.) tacked on 12 and 10 points, respectively, as Conn shot 44 percent as a team.

Playing in its season opener, Hartford was led by Ava Naszimento with nine points on 4-for-11 shooting. 

The Camels jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the opening minutes and never trailed. The Hawks didn't reach double digits until the 7:20 mark of the second period, and by halftime Conn had built the lead to 36-13. Xerras and Donadio each scored 10 points in the half and combined to shoot 9-for-11 from the field.

In the second half, Conn took its largest lead of the day at 50-15 with 4:53 left in the third. The Hawks narrowed the margin with a 14-4 run to end the period, most of which came from the free throw line. The teams were whistled for a combined 19 fouls in the quarter, a trend that carried over into the final stanza.

Conn outscored Hartford 14-12 over the final 10 minutes to sew up their second win in less than 24 hours. The Camels last started the season with a pair of wins in 2019-20.

Conn (2-0 overall) will next play at UMass Boston on Tuesday, November 19 at 5:00 p.m.