MANCHESTER, NH (Jan. 4, 2008) – Sophomore F Courtney May converted a layup with one second remaining as Saint Anselm College defeated UMass Lowell, 61-60, in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball clash at the Stoutenborough Gymnasium.

With the loss, UML slipped to 6-7 overall and 1-7 in the NE-10 entering Tuesday’s home game against Merrimack (5:30). Saint Anselm improved to 5-8 overall and 2-6 in the Conference.

Senior F Liron Asher (Givataim, Israel) led UML with 17 points, hitting 5 of 10 field goal attempts, and seven rebounds while junior C Revital Carmon (Bat-Yam, Israel) grabbed 10 rebounds (six offensive) and scored nine points.

Senior F Cassaundra Thorpe led Saint Anselm with 15 points, hitting 6 of 10 field goal attempts. Sophomore G Erin Higgins and senior G Rachel Reilly each added 12 points, five assists and four rebounds while freshman F Jennifer Gureckis chipped in 10 points (4-6 field goals).

The Hawks shot .552 in the second half (16-29), which offset several UML advantages, and overcame an 11-point deficit.

UML outrebounded the Hawks 41-26 overall and 20-7 offensively, enabling it to post a 20-0 advantage on second chance points. Saint Anselm, however, outscored UML off the bench, 33-16, led by Thorpe’s 15 points.

UML knotted the score, 59-59, when Asher converted the front end of a one-and-one with 12 seconds left. Carmon grabbed the offensive rebound on Asher’s missed free throw and passed to sophomore G Rahshala Valentine (Cincinnati, OH) who was immediately fouled.

Valentine meshed the second of two free throws with 0:07 left to give UML a 60-59 lead. Saint Anselm inbounded to Higgins, who drove into her own half and spotted May under the basket for the game-winner.

In the first half, UML trailed 16-13, but ended the half with a 15-5 run to post a 28-21 lead at the break. Asher led the run with a layup and a pair of free throws while Valentine hit a 3-point shot.

The River Hawks established an 11-point lead (43-32) with 11:29 left to play, but the Hawks responded with a 12-0 run to post a 44-43 edge with 8:34 remaining. Gureckis led the run with five points.

The final 1:26 saw six lead changes with neither team leading by more than one.