WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Gallaudet University women's basketball team began the New Year where it left off last December with another victory. The Bison held on to defeat visiting Polytechnic (N.Y.) by five, 57-52, before a sparse crowd at the Field House on Sunday afternoon.

Gallaudet (6-3) has won four games in a row dating back to December 2, 2009. The six wins matches the win total from last season when the Bison posted a 6-19 record. This is a busy stretch for the Buff and Blue as they play six games in 13 days.

Junior center Easter Faafiti (Pittsburg, Calif.), the leading scorer in the Capital Athletic Conference, poured in 15 of her team-high 16 points in the first half. She added 11 rebounds to record her sixth double-double in eight games. Faafiti also made four steals, passed out three assists and made one block before she fouled out late in the game.

Freshman Shaquana McDonough (Pembroke, Mass.) added 13 points and seven rebounds while she matched Faafiti with four steals and three assists. Junior Nukeitra Hayes (Anderson, Ind.) netted eight points and six rebounds in the second half for the Bison. Senior Brittainy Payne (Pine Hill, N.J.) added six points and nine rebounds in the win.

Polytechnic (3-3) used a 9-0 run to begin the second half and tie the game at 30 just over three minutes in. Gallaudet quickly went on its own run over the next several minutes to take a 42-30 lead with 14 minutes left. The Fighting Blue Jays cut the Bison lead to single digits with four minutes to play. Polytechnic pulled to within two, 54-52, with 48 seconds left but senior Consuelo Aranda (11 points) missed the second of two free throws to give the Bison the ball. The Fighting Blue Jays sent McDonough to the line where she added one point to give GU a 55-52 lead with 19 seconds left. McDonough's second attempt, she missed, but Gallaudet came down with the key rebound made by Hayes. GU went to the line once more but missed two chances. Polytechnic's Margaux Pickell (17 points) missed a three-pointer with four seconds left. Payne ran the length of the court and made a lay-up as time expired to ice the game.

Sophomore Kristen Leitheuser recorded a double-double for the Fighting Blue Jays as she scored 14 points and made a game-high 12 rebounds to go with four assists in the loss.

Gallaudet outrebounded Polytechnic by seven, 47-40, and scored 32 points in the paint and 22 second chance points. The Bison struggled from the free-throw line where they went 9-for-24 (37.5 percent). Polytechnic shot 40.4 percent from the field (21-for-52) and scored 22 points off 24 Gallaudet turnovers. GU scored 28 points off 29 Polytechnic turnovers.

The Bison will next dive back into conference play where they are 2-1 in second-place behind three unbeaten teams in the CAC. One of those unbeaten teams is Salisbury University (5-3, 2-0 CAC) who Gallaudet will welcome to the Field House on Wednesday, January 6, at 6 p.m.