Garden City, N.Y. - While the Panthers raced out to a fast start, the Adelphi University women's basketball team still lost a hard-fought 74-70 contest to Bentley University on Tuesday night at the Center for Recreation and Sport.

Four of Adelphi's (9-13, 6-11 NE10) last six losses have been decided by five points or less -- the last three of which have been at home.

Adelphi and Bentley (14-8, 11-5 NE10) finish with a split of the season series, with each team prevailing on its opposition's own floor.

The dominant pair of Jenna Jordan and Ty'zhea Hawkins accounted for Adelphi's opening five buckets of the game, leading to a 10-3 run off the tip.

An efficient 19-for-35 in the first 20 minutes, Bentley still had the lead by quarter's end and increased its advantage to 48-31 at the half.

Glaring at a deep hole, Adelphi still rattled off an 14-2 burst to start the third quarter and clawed its way right back into it.

Lauren Hammersley's three with 3:07 left in the third pulled the Panthers within 50-45. Jordan also hit on three consecutive baskets in the paint during the run.

Then, in the fourth, Hammersley struck again from deep to close the gap to a possession at 65-62. Hawkins eventually had Adelphi even at 70-all with 2:10 left, but those were the last points the hosts scored on the night.

Jordan, Hawkins and Hammersley all were in double figures, highlighted by Jordan's 26-point, 14-rebound night. Hawkins netted her third 20-point game since the New Year, wth 24 points. Hammersley scored 11 points in the effort.

Head Coach Sade Jackson and the Panthers are back at it Saturday (Feb. 11), with a 1:30 p.m. tip-off in New Haven, Conn. at NE10 rival Southern Connecticut State University.