EWING, N.J. – In the 2018-19 season opener, The College of New Jersey women's basketball team was defeated by 24^th ranked Rochester Institute of Technology 64-51.

RIT controlled the first half, and took a 32-19 advantage into the locker room. TCNJ came out fast in the second half and battled back with a 15-4 run to cut the lead to 36-34. With 6:53 to go in the third quarter, Elle Cimilluca found Jen Byrne from behind the arc who knocked down the three pointer to make it a 32-29 game.

A few possessions later, the same combination worked again as Cimilluca found Byrne who made the lay up to make it 36-31. After the Lions defense got a stop, Lauren Barlow found Shannon Devitt behind the arc, and Devitt hit the three pointer to cut the Tiger lead to two points.

In the fourth quarter Barlow hit a lay up to make it 45-41, then on the next TCNJ possession Devitt connected with Sam Famulare who made a three pointer to pull within one. RIT refused to give up the lead, as it pushed the advantage to 50-44 with a Sabrina Wolfe lay up. The remainder of the game the Tigers controlled to hold onto the win.

Byrne and Famulare each scored 11 points to lead the team. Devitt scored nine points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, while Kate O'Leary and Rachel Gazzola each knocked down a pair of three pointers for six points. Cimilluca tallied seven assists on the evening.

Next up for TCNJ is the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener at Stockton University on Nov. 20, at 6:00 p.m.