Box Score

BURLNGTON, Vt. – Cold stretches continue to haunt Houston Baptist, as the Huskies concluded the TD Bank Classic with a 59-36 loss to Rhode Island Saturday afternoon from Patrick Gymnasium.

Shanice Steenholdt, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, almost recorded her seventh double-double of the season for HBU (2-8), as she led the Huskies with 15 points and eight rebounds. Rachel Arthur had eight ponts, two assists, and one steal, while Erin McGarrachan had six points, two rebounds, one assist, and one block.

Emilie Cloutier led Rhode Island (3-5) with 16 points and was tied for second on the team with five rebounds. Tayra Melendez scored 11 points, while Samantha Tabakman added 10. Megan Straumann was tied for the game high with eight rebounds.

After both teams scored jumpers to start the game, Rhode Island used a 12-1 run to take a 14-3 lead until Arthur nailed a trey to make the score 14-6 URI with 8:49 left in the opening half.

After a pair of Steenholdt free throws made the score 23-8 with 6:19 remaining, the Huskies outscored the Rams, 10-4, to trail URI 27-18 at halftime. Steenholdt scored the final six points of the half for HBU.

Each team traded baskets in the first four minutes. Down by nine, 33-24, HBU went cold on the offensive end, going without a basket for the next six minutes, as URI outscored the Huskies, 8-0, to take a 41-24 lead with 10:50 left in the second half.

HBU scored five quick points on a three-pointer by Tayler Jefferson and a jumper by Joselyn Pugh to make the score 41-29, prompting a URI timeout.

The timeout was a smart move by the URI coaches, as the Rams outscored HBU 14-5 to lead the Huskies, 55-34 with 3:49 remaining in the second half.

Steenholdt made a layup at the 2:05-mark, but that was the only scoring HBU had in the final 3:48, as URI won, 59-36.

HBU will take a two-week break before heading back on the road to Utah. The Huskies play the Utah Utes on Dec. 15 and Southern Utah on Dec. 17.