BRISTOL, R.I. -- First year guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) netted 18 points for the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team in an 80-50 loss to host Roger Williams University this evening at the Campus Recreation Center in Bristol, R.I. The Lyons fall to 5-5 on the season, while the Hawks improve to a perfect 8-0.

Roger Williams owned the paint, outscoring Wheaton, 54-16, while controlling the glass with a 56-25 rebounding advantage, including 22 offensive boards. The Hawks held the Lyons to just 33.3% (21-63) from the floor, while shooting 48.6% (36-74).

Fernandes added three rebounds, an assist and a steal for Wheaton. The guard has netted 16 or more points in each of her last four contests. First year guard Greta Minos (West Roxbury, Mass.) contributed with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a pair of blocks and first year forward Tianna Rogers (Danbury, Conn.) chipped in with eight points, seven boards, a steal and two blocks. 

Senior center Karli Opalka (Southbury, Conn.) posted a double-double with a game-high 28 points on 13-18 shooting in addition to 10 rebounds to lead Roger Williams, while handing out an assist, making a steal and blocking a shot. First year guard Reese Cordero (Whitman, Mass.) came off the bench to net 13 points on 5-8 from the floor to go with two rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes of action. Junior center Kendi Barnard (Bedford, N.H.) also registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and added four assists, three steals and a game-high five blocks.

The Hawks set the tone for the game by scoring the first 17 points of the night over a five-minute period, behind 13 points from Opalka. Roger Williams maintained a 19-2 advantage at the 4:53 mark of the opening half, before the Lyons went on a 9-5 run to cut the deficit to 24-11 with 30 ticks left on the first quarter clock. The Hawks extended their lead to 37-17 with 5:14 to play in the first half, but Wheaton ripped off seven straight points to pull to within 37-24 with 1:21 remaining in the second quarter. Roger Williams took a 39-24 advantage into the intermission.

Fernandes knocked down a jumper for the Lyons to cut the margin to 41-28 with 7:31 showing in the third quarter, before Roger Williams put together an 18-4 stretch, led by eight points from Opalka and seven from Cordero, to take a 59-32 lead with 76 seconds left in the quarter. The home team held a 63-37 advantage going into the final period of play.

Wheaton stayed within 65-42 at the 8:47 mark, but the Hawks continued to build their lead and owned a 80-48 advantage with 1:43 to go before sophomore forward Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) scored the final points of the game with a lay-up for the Lyons.

Wheaton returns to the hardwood with the final game of 2021, traveling to Salem, Mass. to take on Salem State University on Thursday, December 30 at 5:00 p.m., while Roger Williams plays Susquehanna University on the same day at 6:00 p.m. at the WPI Tournament in Worcester, Mass.