Coach Rich Cooper could only watch helplessly Tuesday night as his No. 1 seed Roadrunner Women's Basketball team saw a 12-point second half lead evaporate quickly vs. No. 8 seed Middlesex in the North Atlantic District quarterfinal round.

The visiting Colts rallied to grab a stunning 68-67 triumph and advance to the Region semifinals later this week. Middlesex put the final stamp on the win when guard Courtney Hansen dropped in a buzzer-beating jumper that started a celebration on the visitors' bench.

"It was hard to watch because we controlled the second half, but you have to give Middlesex a lot of credit for not giving up and pulling it out," said Cooper.

"I do want to thank my sophomores for another great season," added Cooper. "We appreciate everything they brought to the program on a daily basis."

After trailing by as many as 9 points in the first half, center Riley Starke nailed a jumper to end the first half and move the home team to within 31-29.

As Cooper noted, the Runners controlled most of the second half with crisp defense and a smooth transition game. They moved out to a 12-point lead midway through the fourth period before the Colts made their move to snatch the improbable win, which was also aided by a technical foul call against RCSJ in the final minute of play.

Starke led the Runners with 18 points while teammate Danielle Jeffreys netted 18 and Jonaysia Clark added 15.

The Runners closed out their season with an 18-7 overall record.