ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT (14-8, 7-6 Liberty League) women's basketball team trailed 20-6 after the first quarter and never recovered, falling at Clark Gym to St. Lawrence University (8-12, 5-7 Liberty League), 79-72. The loss snaps RIT's four-game winning streak and drops them into sixth place in the tight league standings.

RIT shot 39.7 percent from the floor on 27-of-68 shooting. The Tigers went just 3-of-12 from behind the arc, and were 15-of-23 from the foul line. Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA/Troy) led RIT with 24 points and seven assists. Tara Lynch (Green Township, NJ/Newton) tallied 19 points, while Ashlynn Palmitesso (Fulton, NY/G. Ray Bodley) chipped in 11 points off the bench. Julia Bender (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) added seven points and five boards.

Cara Waterson led St. Lawrence with 18 points. Annabella Pugliese tallied 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Shayna Davner added 13 points and four rebounds for the Saints, who shot 50.0 percent from the floor.

The Saints reeled off the first 13 points of the game, putting RIT in an early hole en route to a 20-6 score after the first quarter. Trailing 37-23 late in the second quarter, RIT rallied with eight straight points to pull within six on a jumper by Amanda Olsen (Glen Mills, PA/Archmere Academy) with six seconds to play, making it a 37-31 game at half time.

The Tigers got to within seven points in the third quarter when Palmitesso converted a free throw with 5:36 to play to make the score 45-38 Saints. A late jumper by Okada pulled RIT to within 58-49 heading into the fourth quarter.

Trailing 69-59 with 4:21 to play in the regulation, RIT rattled off five straight points, pulling within 69-64 on a 3-pointer from Palmitesso. After trading baskets, Palmitesso hit another 3-pointer with 1:38 to play cut the lead to 73-70. After getting a stop on the defensive end, Lynch hit a layup with 1:22 to play to make it a 73-72 game.

Unfortunately for RIT, St. Lawrence made six straight free throws in the final minute sandwiched around two RIT misses and a turnover to hang on.

RIT returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 7 when the Tigers face Union College at 6 p.m. in Schenectady, N.Y.