Smithfield, R.I. – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team went on a late run but couldn't finish the comeback in a 71-66 loss at first-place Bryant University Saturday afternoon. The Colonials slip to 11-7 overall and 5-2 in the Northeast Conference with the loss while Bryant improves to 10-8 and 7-0 in league games.
 
Sophomore guard Shakema Dashiell had a career-high 13 points for the Colonials. She played 17 minutes off the bench going 4-of-6 overall and 3-of-4 on three-pointers. Dashiell added four rebounds a pair of free throws while becoming the seventh different player to lead RMU in scoring this season. Anna Niki Stamolamprou finished with a game-high 17 points for the Colonials.
 
Bryant surged ahead with a 20-5 run that lasted nearly 10 minutes through the first and second quarters. Tiersa Winder had 10 points during the run that gave the host squad a 26-12 lead with 3:32 left in the half.
 
Dashiell came off the bench for RMU with just over three minutes left in the half and immediately got herself to the charity stripe by grabbing an offensive board and making a pair of free throws. Leah Wormack then scored four consecutive points for the Colonials, the last two sandwiched between four Bulldogs points. A drive by Stamolamprou was followed by a pair of three-pointers from Dashiell that capped an 8-0 run by Robert Morris to end the first half with Bryant leading, 30-26.
 
Bryant came out with an 8-2 push to start the second half, getting the lead back into double digits. Five straight points by Megan Smith cut it to five points but it would be all Bulldogs over the next 7:35. They stretched their lead to a game-high 17 points with 8:21 to play in the fourth quarter.
 
The Colonials would not go away, however. Mikalah Mulrain scored four points around a Stamolamprou jumper during a 7-0 RMU run. Still facing a double-digit deficit with 2:14 to play, Stamolamprou drilled a three-pointer. That shot sparked a 9-0 run that ended with Dashiell's third trey of the game and brought RMU to within three points with 1:26 to play.
 
A lay-up by Alex Klein on the other end was followed by an in-and-out trey that left RMU empty on their next possession. A free throw by Morgan Olander put the margin to six points. A lay-up by Jones cut the lead to four points before Ivory Bailey made a trio of free throws.  Ashley Ravelli hit a three-pointer with nine seconds remaining to make it a four-point game, but Bryant hit two more from the chalk on the next possession and would hold on for the six-point win.
 
Robert Morris remains in New England until Monday, Jan. 25, when they travel to New Britain, Conn., for a 7:00 p.m. game against Central Connecticut State.