ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Bard College women's basketball team was defeated by SUNY Canton, 71-63, Tuesday night in a non-conference matchup.

With the result, the Raptors fell to 5-16 overall, while the Roos of Canton improved to 10-12.

From the opening tip Tuesday, the game was back-and-forth all night. The squads traded scoring run after scoring run, as both battled back from deficits to have leads in the contest.

It was the Raptors who struck first, scoring five of the first seven points. It looked like it would be a smooth sailing on the night, until they were held scoreless for the next seven minutes of the frame. During that time, Canton flipped the 5-2 deficit into an 11-5 lead.

Bard was able to cut into the margin just before the quarter ended however, as Caleigh DeCaprio's three-pointer trimmed the score to 11-8 after 10 minutes.

The DeCaprio three-pointer became a catalyst for Bard, as the team outscored Canton, 18-5, over the next seven minutes. After flipping the deficit into a 23-16 lead, it appeared as if the Raptors were going to coast into the halftime break.

The Roos had other plans.

Canton suddenly became a blaze offensively, as three three-pointers, two layups and a pair of free throws gave the guests 15 points straight to end the half. The run continued into the early part of the third quarter, as the guests outscored Bard, 24-5, over the seven-minute stretch.

During that time, Canton flipped its biggest deficit of the game (seven points, 23-16) into its biggest lead of the game (12 points, 40-28). With that lead in their pocket, the Roos now looked primed to secure the easy victory.

But just like the Roos earlier, the Raptors weren't willing to give in that easily.

Over the next five minutes of the third, Bard responded to the Canton run with one of its own, as a 16-4 streak tied the contest at 44, with just over a minute to go in the quarter. The Raptors looked as if they had once again flipped the script on the game, but the Roos had one last run left in them.

Over the final minute of the frame, Canton poured in seven points to grab a, 51-44, lead heading into the fourth. 

While the Roos held the lead the rest of the way, Bard continued to battle throughout the final quarter, eventually cutting the deficit to just a point, 60-59, with 3:50 left to play. From there, Canton's defense tightened up, and held Bard scoreless over the next three minutes, as the Roos escaped with the victory.

Individually, freshman Christina Kiser continued her fantastic season for the Raptors, finishing with 38 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists. The 38 points were the third-most ever in a single game in Bard women's basketball history, and broke her previous high of 35 points, set back in November. 

Along the way, Kiser further etched her name into the Bard record books, as she moved past all-time leading scoring, Tytravia Riley (2012-16), breaking the single-season points record with 473 points. Riley previously held the mark with 421 points, which was set back during the 2015-16 season.

Other contributing Raptors on the night were Jess Rylander, who added 12 points and four assists, and Katie Espositio, who collected 13 rebounds (seven offensive) and eight points in the effort.

For Canton, Antanasia Chambers (Manhattan, NY) finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and seven steals. 

Up next for the Raptors is a return to Liberty League action, as they travel north to take on RPI on February 8th. That game is set for 5 p.m. and you can follow it right here.