Saint Anselm Falls in Final Minute to UMass Lowell, 55-53

Manchester, N.H. (December 4) -- After rallying from an early deficit and holding a three-point lead late in the game, the Saint Anselm women's basketball team dropped a 55-53 final to visiting UMass Lowell on Saturday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference action at Stoutenburgh Gym.

The River Hawks came out firing and after less than nine minutes, the visitors were in complete control with a 20-6 advantage. A quick 11-2 run for the Hawks, capped by two free throws from junior Epiphany Smith (Springdale, Ark.) quickly cut the lead down to five at 22-17, as the Hawks got their offense going before halftime. Saint Anselm kept the pressure on and with 1:21 left in the first half, the Hawks tied the game at 26-26 on a layup from junior Megan Howard (St. Paul, Minn.). Bianca Simmons knocked down three free throws over the final minute of the half though as the River Hawks held the 29-26 halftime edge.

In the second half, Lowell extended the lead back to eight at 36-28 with 15:50 and appeared to be heading towards a double-digit lead. Saint Anselm had different ideas though and answered with a 9-0 and took its first lead of the game at 37-36 on a hoop by sophomore Morgan Frame (Waterville, Maine). Saint Anselm stretched the lead to as many as five points before UMass Lowell tied the game yet again. The two teams went back and forth over the remainder of the period and with exactly 2:00 left, Hawk senior Jen Gureckis (Nashua, N.H.) knocked down a three from the far corner for the 53-50 lead.

The River Hawks got back to within one after a pair of Simmons free throws with 1:19 left, followed by a Saint Anselm shot clock violation to get the ball back with just 22 seconds remaining. Simmons drove the lane and with 4.6 seconds left knocked down an off-balance shot on a putback and was fouled, converting the three-point play for the 55-53 lead. Saint Anselm had one last chance, but a Smith three-point attempt at the buzzer hit off the left side of the rim for the two-point final.

Smith was the lone Hawk in double figures with 17 points, while Howard led the team on the glass with 11 rebounds. Simmons led Lowell with 16 points, along with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double by Sarah Bennett and 12 points from Sha'Nay Bushner.

Saint Anselm has now dropped five straight and falls to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Northeast-10, while the River Hawks improve to 3-4 overall and an even 2-2 in the league. The Hawks are back in action next Tuesday as the team travels to Saint Michael's for a 5:30 p.m. start in Colchester, Vt.