Dec. 7, 2011

Box Score | Highlights/Behn Interview

Senior F Sha'nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio) scored 15 points and led three teammates in double digits as UMass Lowell defeated Saint Anselm, 60-57, Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball clash at the Costello Athletic Center.

The win was UMass Lowell's second in three games as it improved to 3-5 overall entering Saturday's home clash at Franklin Pierce (2:00).

Saint Anselm slipped to 7-4 overall and 2-4 in the Conference and visits Nyack Dec. 30 (5:00).

"I'm so proud of the team. It was such a great comeback," said head coach Sarah Behn. It was gutsy. We didn't really follow the game plan in the first half, but definitely made up for it in the second half. We hmade our free throws and we made our layups. It was great."

Bushner converted 5 of 8 field goals and 4 of 5 free throws and grabbed four rebounds while junior G Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.), making her first start of the season, added 14 points, five assists and five rebounds.

Junior F Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds while sophomore G Danielle DePierro (Tewksbury, Mass.) chipped in 11 points, 10 of which in the decisive late run.

"We're getting there a little bit at a time," Behn added. "It was a nice gutsy win. We did get in foul trouble, but we didn't let it bury us. I think we played a little bit smarter once we were in foul trouble."

Senior G Epiphany Smith led Saint Anselm with 17 points on 6 of 12 field goal shooting (3-6 from 3-point range) while junior F Curran Leighton added 13 points and five rebounds.

Senior F Megan Howard chipped in 11 points and grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds. The River Hawks committed only seven turnovers and forced 17 from Saint Anselm, resulting in a 20-8 scoring advantage off turnovers. Behind Williams and Bushner, the River Hawks outscored the Hawks 34-16 in the paint.

UMass Lowell ended the game with a 17-3 tear and kept the Hawks without a field goal in the final 6:48 over which they shot 0-7. DePierro led the run with a pair of treys, a layup and two free throws while Wilson added five points.

Saint Anselm, which led at the break, 34-25, led by as many as 15 (47-32) with 13:55 left to play.