ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Bard College women's basketball team started their home slate against Russell Sage at Stevenson Athletic Center on Wednesday night, dropping a hard fought game, 56-52.  

Bard was led by junior Shirley Dong, who scored 20 points, had four steals, and grabbed 12 rebounds, putting her second career double-double in the scorebooks. Jessica Martin was the Raptors' second-leading scorer, with 11 points on 4-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from long range. 

Aislynn Dixon had two steals and led the team in assists. Maggy Peyton brought down six rebounds, had six points, adding a steal and an assist. Lexi Miller had six points and four boards in 25 minutes.

Tianna Gonzalez had a block and a steal in addition to four rebounds in just 15 minutes. Erin Tobes added four rebounds and three assists. Maeve O'Sullivan got her first collegiate block in 17 minutes. 

The Raptors jumped out in front 14-6 in the first quarter, with Dong hitting two threes less than two minutes apart at the end of the period. Bard's defense caused a 2-for-18 start by the Gators, allowing the Raptors to build their lead. Dong was a problem on both ends for the Gators, playing 19 minutes in the first half, scoring 13 points, getting three steals, and adding a block. 

The Raptors scored their first five points in the second half via free throws after driving to the basket and drawing three early fouls. Martin had two threes within a 1:07 stretch after Bard fell down by 11. Martin's eight second-half points led the Raptors. In the fourth quarter, Bard held Russell Sage to 5-of-16 shooting and 1-of-8 from three, outscoring the Gators 15-13. The Gators held on down the stretch to escape with a four-point win.

The next opponent for Bard is Paul Smith's, who they will face for the first time on Saturday at 2 p.m.