SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Connecticut College women's basketball team came up on the short end of a 65-62 final against Western New England University on Saturday afternoon in the title game of the 2025 Hampton Inn Holiday Classic at the Anthony S. Caprio Healthful Living Center.

Trailing 47-39 heading into the fourth quarter, the Camels nearly rallied all the way back. Sofia Tavarez (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) led the charge with 13 of her game-high 17 points in the final stanza, but the Golden Bears held on down the stretch to claim the tourney title.

Valeria Santiago Dedós (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico) and Mia Xerras (Charlotte, N.C.) each drilled three triples and added 13 and nine points, respectively. Hayle Thompson (Maynard, Mass.) led the effort on the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds.

Conn got out to an 11-2 start as Santiago Dedos, Xerras and Catherine Cole (Lebanon, N.H) all buried threes in the opening 4:11. However, the Camels managed only two more buckets the rest of the period, and WNE clawed back to within 15-12 by the end of the frame.

The Golden Bears took their first lead with an 8-0 run in the second quarter, capped by a three from Paige Winter to go up 25-24 with 3:35 left in the half. Winter added a free throw in the final seconds of the stanza to give the hosts a 27-26 advantage at the break.

WNE outscored Conn 20-13 in the third, highlighted by an 11-0 spurt that included threes by Sophie Hedge, Erin Reen and Winter. Santiago Dedos kept the Camels within striking distance with six points in the period, but the visitors still trailed 47-39 heading into the fourth.

Conn ripped off 12 straight points to start the final period as Hallie O'Toole (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Xerras each canned treys in the first minute. Tavarez added the next six points, which left the Camels with a 51-47 advantage with 7:03 to go.  

After a put-back by Perry Blasetti tied the game at 53-53 with 5:01 to play, the lead changed hands five times before the final buzzer. A lay-up by O'Toole gave the Camels their final lead at 62-61 with 1:48 remaining, but Winter countered with a pair of free throws to put WNE on top for good. Conn had several cracks at the lead in the final minutes but couldn't capitalize.

Winter and Blasetti led Western New England (4-2 overall) with 14 points apiece.

Tavarez was named to the all-tournament team along with teammate Sydney Marshall (Enfield, Conn.). Tavarez averaged 18.5 points and 3.0 assists per game for the tourney while Marshall contributed 6.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest.

Conn (2-3 overall) will next play at Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, November 25 at 5:00 p.m.