DANBURY, Conn. - After a lengthy layoff, the Western Connecticut State University women's basketball team returned to action on Sunday evening at Stephen Feldman Arena. Rookie forward Nia Rencher (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) poured in a game-high 18 points but it wasn't enough as the Wolves fell to visiting Elmira College, 52-45, in a non-conference battle. 

Classmate guard Gianna Castellano (East Haven, Conn.) chipped in with 11 points while junior guard Malaysia Dingle (Brockton, Mass.) added eight. Senior forward Nevaeh Winston (Wilson, N.Y.) led three Elmira players in double figures with 13, while junior guard Amarionah Dixon (Elmira, N.Y.) pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds to go along with 11 points for the double-double. 

The hosts held a 12-10 lead to end the opening quarter before extending the gap to five early in the second when Rencher converted a shot from inside the paint. However, the visitors responded with a nine-point flurry in the third stanza to capture their biggest lead of the contest when Winston took a feed from Dixon and canned a shot, making it 34-23. But the Wolves wouldn't go down without a fight. They rallied to shrink the deficit to 39-36 early in the fourth when Rencher sank a pair from the free throw line. They wouldn't get any closer as Elmira was able to hold onto the lead the rest of the way. 

Elmira finished the contest, shooting 43 percent from the floor, while WestConn hit for 31 percent. With the loss, the Wolves dropped to 4-6 overall while Elmira improved to 6-2. WestConn returns to the hardwood when they head to non-league foe SUNY Cobleskill on Thursday at 4 p.m.