BENNINGTON, Vt. - Southern Vermont women's basketball point guard Joa Claircius scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, and tallied 6 steals but it was not enough to push the Mountaineers past the Hawks (Becker College) in a close Conference (NECC) game Saturday, losing 74-67.

The hustle of newcomer Kayla Whitman who posted 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, and 5 steals is starting to give life back into a team that has struggled with injuries throughout the season. Since joining SVC at the beginning of January she has averaged 15.7 points a game, is shooting a team second 34.0 percent from three land, and leads the team with 5.4 steals a game (53 total for the year).

The Hawks who were only up by three at the half (37-34) but their well balanced scoring helped them stay on top to the end. Beth Pion led Becker with 21 points and 12 rebounds on only 29 minutes due to early foul trouble. Also contributing were Courtney Fiske, Kristina Desnoyers, and Rachel Pinak who posted 16, 12, and 10 points respectively to round out the offense.

Senior Power Forward Markeisha Mullen had a solid came down low for Southern Vermont tallying a double-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds and also contributed 6 assists a season high for her.

The Mountaineers are on the road against Daniel Webster Tuesday, February 3. The game tips off at 6:00 p.m.