CHICAGO, Ill. – In a tightly-contested game throughout, the Harper College women's basketball team just didn't have enough in the end, losing 62-59 to Wilbur Wright College on Saturday afternoon.

Wright's Tayja Dean, the nation's leader scorer at the NJCAA Div. II level at 27.1 PPG, hit several big buckets down the stretch for the Rams (7-17, 3-7 N4C). With the Hawks (8-16, 2-7 N4C) leading 56-53 with 1:57 remaining after a pair of Joslyn Nicholson (/Cary-Grove) free throws, Dean buried a 3-pointer with 1:12 left to tie the game. On the next possession, Dean canned another triple to put Wright ahead 59-56.

After Harper failed to score on the next possession, Dean (game-high 36 points, 13 rebounds) knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Rams up five. Nicholson scored the Hawks' final three points of the game but it wasn't enough.

Nicholson finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Kim Herzog (/Buffalo Grove) added 14 points and six assists. Sarah Nelson (/Warren Township ) knocked down four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 12 points. Lane Winkler (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows) scored six points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and Ashonte Sims (/Normal Community West) had six points and 12 rebounds. The Hawks outrebounded the Rams 55-44.

Harper bolted out to a 9-0 lead and held the lead for much of the first half before taking a 24-21 edge into halftime.

The Hawks return to action Wednesday at home as they take on College of DuPage (7-17, 1-9 N4C). Tipoff is slated for 5 PM inside the Wellness & Sports Center.