NEWPORT, R.I. – The Connecticut College women's basketball team came up on the short end of a 62-61 final against Salve Regina University on Saturday afternoon at the Rodgers Recreation Center.

For the second game in a row, the decision hung in the balance until the final play of the contest. But unlike Thursday's buzzer-beater win over Framingham State, the Camels couldn't sink the winning basket before time elapsed.

In what was a close game throughout, Conn entered the fourth quarter with a 43-40 advantage, only to watch the Seahawks use a 10-2 run to go up by five. The Camels quickly responded with a 9-3 spurt and took a 54-53 lead on a three-point play by Catherine Cole (Lebanon, N.H.) with 3:28 to go.

The lead changed hands five more times before the final buzzer. Mia Xerras (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sofia Tavarez (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) each provided go-ahead buckets, but Salve Regina answered right back each time at the other end of the floor. Free throws by Emma Cochrane and Hannah Lauenstein gave the hosts a 62-59 edge with 22 seconds to go.

Conn's attempt at a game-tying three came up short, but Addi Hunter (Saint George, Vt.) corralled the rebound and cashed in the putback to make it a one-point game. Cochrane then missed a pair of freebies with seven seconds left, the last of which was secured by Xerras for a final chance at the win. Following a timeout, the Camels once again turned to Tavarez for the last shot, but her attempt was off the mark.  

Tavarez paced the Camels with 16 points and also handed out five assists. Hunter chipped in 11 points while Cole and Hayle Thompson (Maynard, Mass.) tacked on 10 apiece. Thompson also notched a double-double with a career-high 16 rebounds.

Conn (5-4 overall) will host Coast Guard Academy on Monday, December 8 at 5:00 p.m.