FREDERICK, Md.--The Hood College women's basketball team (3-6) came up on the short end of a 55-49 nonconference decision to the Roanoke College Maroons (3-7) Sunday afternoon at BB&T Arena.

Dyanna Prater led all scorers with 14 points to go along with four rebounds and a pair of steals, while teammate Briana Lee was the only other Blazer in double figures with 12, a season-high for her.

Roanoke opened up the game scoring the first seven points of the contest but the Blazers would rally to knot the score at 10-10 on a triple by Emily Maerz at the 11:25 mark. The Maroons ripped off another run of 12 unanswered points to go up 22-10 just four minutes later. Hood would chip away at the deficit and a jumper by Prater closed the gap to three with just under two minutes left in the stanza. Roanoke clung to a 26-23 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Prater's fastbreak layup gave the Blazers their first lead of the game, 32-31, at the 13:40 mark. Hood led by as many as five after a bucket by Olivia Hosch but the hosts were unable to stretch their lead further.

The ballgame was tied at 47-47 with 3:13 to go following a layup by Rachel Wiley but Hood would connect on just one more field goal the rest of the way. Roanoke made all six of its free throw attempts down the stretch to ice the game.

Hood played stifling defense in the second half, limiting the Maroons to just five second-half field goals; however the Maroons cashed in at the foul line, sinking 18-of-22 from the stripe. Roanoke also owned a 51-38 advantage on the boards.

Wiley finished with seven points and seven rebounds while Hosch and Maerz netted five points apiece. Maerz also dished a career-high five assists. Rachel Kessler had four points, four rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench. 

Roanoke was led by Paxton Gwin's 13 points and nine boards.

Hood returns to the hardwood following the holiday to host Waynesburg University on Saturday, Dec. 29 in a nonconference game at 1 p.m. at BB&T Arena.