A shorthanded women’s basketball team was unable to snap its four-game skid after falling 74–62 to Providence College (4–4) in a nonconference matchup Wednesday night at Alumni Hall in Providence.

After keeping pace in the first half with the Friars, Providence went on a 19–1 run at the beginning of the second half to pull away with the victory.

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The struggling Bulldogs (1–5) had to deal with the absences of their starting guards Megan Vasquez ’13 and Yoyo Greenfield ’11, who were kept out of the lineup as a precautionary measure after they collided and hit their heads during practice Tuesday. Guards Allie Messimer ’13 and Aarica West ’13 started in their places.

“I think everybody definitely felt a little bit of pressure, but we handled it really well,” Messimer said. “We were a little more nervous than usual, but everyone ended up doing well and ended up okay.”

Despite being down two starters, the Bulldogs received at least one point from every player that stepped onto the court. Messimer and forward Michelle Cashen ’12 led the Elis with 12 points each, while forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 added nine. Cashen also recorded seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

“I thought the bench people stepped up and did a very good job,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “It’s frustrating not to get the win, but we’re dealing with a situation where we have played game, after game, after game that we have yet to be favored in.”

Though the Elis hit 15 of 30 field goals in the first half, they cooled down after halftime and shot nine-of-31 from the field. The Bulldogs were outrebounded 52-36 by the Friars in the contest, making it the fifth time that the Elis have lost the battle of the boards.

Providence’s Symone Roberts and Miranda Tate tied for the game-high point total with 18 points each. Mi-Khida Hankins was also strong for the Friars and tallied nine rebounds and five blocks.

Though the Friars outscored Yale 13-4 in the first five minutes of play, the Bulldogs battled back and went on a 6-0 run to cut Providence’s lead to 13–10 with 12:57 left in the first half.

The Friars built a 10-point lead following a layup from Roberts that put Providence up 24–14 with 8:11 left on the clock.

A shot from downtown from Ericka von Kaeppler ’13 kept the Bulldogs close and decreased Providence’s lead to a 27–22 advantage. The Elis hit nine of 18 shots from 3-point range in the game.

“We have a lot of great shooters, so we’re just kind of expected to be making those shots,” Messimer said.

The Bulldogs continued to chip away at the Friars’ lead and cut their lead down to 33–32 following an 8-2 run that was fueled by three layups from Cashen and one from Mady Gobrecht with 2:25 left in the half. Cashen scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half.

The Friars’ Chandler McCabe then successfully converted a 3-point play that gave Providence a 36–32 edge.

A layup from center Zenab Keita ’14 cut Yale’s deficit down to two points with 58 seconds left on the clock, but Miranda Tate sank a jumper and Lola Wells added a pair of free throws to give the Friars a 40–34 lead at halftime.

Messimer opened up the second half by hitting a 3-pointer that cut Providence’s lead to 40–37. But after that, it was all Providence.

Providence outscored the Elis 19-1 over the next seven minutes to take a 59–38 lead with 12:44 left in regulation. It was the Friars’ largest lead of the night.

“I think that their lead definitely came from what they were doing and not necessarily our offense,” Messimer said. “[It was] more so of our defense that cooled off a little bit. Offense comes with defense.”

However, Yale rallied to reduce the deficit. A free throw from Mady Gobrecht made the score 67–59 and pulled the Bulldogs within eight points with 4:30 left on the clock, but that turned out to be the closest the Elis would get for the remainder of the game, as Providence was able to maintain their lead and hand Yale their fifth straight loss.

“We don’t have a single trip where we can afford to give anything less than our best,” coach Gobrecht said. “You have to be on your best every single trip, and that’s a tall order. We’re just going to keep getting better. For the most part we’re not fine with losing, but I’m not concerned about us. We’re going to be okay.”