By Jim Fenton

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Bridgewater State University women's basketball team dropped its road opener on Tuesday night to fall to 1-2 on the season.

Rhode Island College won its fourth straight game, defeating the Bears, 78-53, at the Murray Center.

The Anchorwomen (5-1) made 22 of 26 foul shots and held a 50-28 advantage in rebounds to send BSU to its second straight loss after a victory over UMass Dartmouth.

Sophomore Shalyn Smith (Middletown, Conn.) had 17 points, hitting all 12 of her free throws, and added four steals for RIC.

Junior Meagan Schuermann (Cooperstown, N.Y.) also scored 17 points with seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. She made 7 of 10 shots from the field.

Sophomore Jaina Yekelchik (North Scituate, R.I.) contributed 17 points, making three 3-pointers, and had six rebounds for the Anchorwomen.

BSU had one player in double figures, senior Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, N.Y.), who scored 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting with four rebounds.

Freshman Emilie von der Linden (Sanbornville, N.H.) chipped in with nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks while junior Sophie Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) scored nine points and junior Emily Quinn (Lancaster, Mass.) had a team-best four assists.

BSU held an 18-16 after the first quarter after trailing, 13-8, when Yekelchik made a pullup with 3:02 to go in the period.

But sophomore Lexi Thompson (New Bedford, Mass.) made two baskets and von der Linden added a basket and two foul shots for a 16-13 Bears' lead with 1:18 left.

A jumper by junior Ashleigh Johnson (Carver, Mass.) with three seconds to go put BSU up, 18-16.

The Bears opened their largest lead at 24-20 with 4:47 to go before halftime on a layup by von der Linden.

But RIC went on a 13-4 run to finish the half and open a 33-28 advantage at the break. Smith made four of her foul shots in that span.

The Anchorwomen took the lead despite making only 3 of 14 shots from the field in the quarter. RIC connected on 11 of 12 foul shots.

The Anchorwomen put the game away with a 16-2 spurt to begin the second half.

A layup by Johnson with 9:12 left pulled BSU within 36-30, but the Anchorwomen scored the next eight points for a 44-30 lead.

Burchhardt made a layup with 5:47 to finally get BSU back on the scoreboard, but the Bears missed their next three shots and committed five turnovers.

That enabled RIC to go ahead, 55-34, with three minutes left on a jumper by sophomore Nichole Ljuljic (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.).

RIC, which made 10 of 16 shots in the third quarter, took a 59-39 lead into the final 10 minutes.

The Bears could get no closer than 17 points in the final quarter with RIC's lead reaching 28.

BSU shot just 36 percent while the Anchorwomen made 43 percent. The Bears attempted just eight free throws.

RIC had 17 offensive rebounds and turned 17 turnovers into 23 points.

The Bears are on the road again next Tuesday, facing Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 7:30 p.m.

RIC will host Tufts University on Sunday at 1 p.m.