Providence, R.I.-Senior forward Alexia Vega (North Providence, RI) finished with a career-high 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench to guide the Rhode Island College women's basketball team to a 59-40 victory over Worcester State on Sunday afternoon at The Murray Center in non-conference action.

Freshman forward Vandell Andrade (Providence, RI) added 12 points, six rebounds and two steals for Rhode Island College (3-1), while junior forward Cara Paladino (Arlington, MA) chipped in with six points, seven rebounds, four steals, three blocks and two assists.

Worcester State (1-3) was led by senior center Meaghan O'Keefe (Warren, MA), who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, while junior guard Meaghan Burns (West Brookfield, MA) tallied 10 points and four rebounds. Sophomore forward Shannen El-Qasem (Rutland, MA) added nine points in the loss.

After taking a 26-19 lead into halftime, the Anchorwomen led by as many as 12 and began to pull away from the Lancers in the early stages of the second half. However, Worcester State rallied for a 10-2 run to make it, 36-32, with 11:02 on the clock, capped off by a pair of free throws from O'Keefe. That would prove to be the last gasp for the Lancers, as Rhode Island College responded with an astounding, 18-2, run to make it, 54-34, and give the Anchorwomen a 20-point lead, their largest of the game, with 4:36 left to play.

Once again, Rhode Island College held a definitive advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Lancers, 39-31, and corralling 18 offensive rebounds as a team. The Anchorwomen also used stingy defense in the half-court and the full-court to record 19 steals and force 30 turnovers. RIC coughed up the ball just 13 times in the win.

RIC shot 37 percent (23-for-63) from the field, 17 percent (1-for-6) from beyond the arc and 63 percent (12-for-19) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Worcester State shot 37 percent (14-for-38) from the floor, 25 percent (2-for-8) from downtown and 71 percent (10-for-14) from the charity stripe.

Senior forward Courtney Burns (Rockland, MA) finished with nine points, six rebounds and four steals for the Anchorwomen, while senior guard Ashley O'Dell (Lincoln, RI) contributed with nine points, four rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Megan Sewall (Portsmouth, RI) added two points, four steals, three rebounds and a game-high eight assists off the bench.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will host Emmanuel in a rematch of last season's NCAA Div. III Women's Basketball Tournament Second Round matchup on Thursday, Nov. 29 (5:30 p.m.).