COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's basketball team lost a 45-42 Senior Day decision to regionally-ranked University of New Haven on Saturday during Northeast-10 Conference play in the Ross Sports Center. The Chargers were eighth in this week's D2 CSC East Region poll.
 
With the Purple Knights' regular season complete but the other 10 teams in the league playing their finales on Tuesday, Saint Michael's remains in contention for a home NE10 Championship first-round game next Friday.
 
On Saturday, the Purple Knights honored senior Brianna Furch (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood School/Cal State Fullerton) prior to her final regular-season home game.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (11-15, 8-12 NE10), New Haven (16-9, 11-8 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Ruby Santos (New Paltz, N.Y./Kent School), 13 points, 4 offensive rebounds, 4 steals, 5-for-8 field goals
• Senior Brianna Furch (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood School/Cal State Fullerton), 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 offensive rebounds, 2 steals
• Sophomore Bella Franchi (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central), 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2-for-4 three-pointers
• Sophomore Jayla Tyler (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central/Saint Rose), 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
• Sophomore Ashlee Talbot (Dracut, Mass./Dracut), 5 rebounds

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Graduate student Paige Cote, 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks
• Junior Aniya McDonald-Perry, 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists
• Senior Charlotte Bassett, 10 points, 4-for-7 field goals
• Senior Sabira Ahayeva, 10 points

GAME FACTS

• The Purple Knights allowed fewer than 50 points for the eighth time this season.
• Saint Michael's held a 38-33 rebounding advantage, including 15-8 on the offensive glass.

THE ACTION

• Furch drained a pair of three-pointers in the opening 1:23 before New Haven countered with a 7-0 run, and neither team led again by more than two points until Franchi banked in a long buzzer-beating jumper to make it 13-9 heading into the first break.
• The lead ballooned to 24-15 on Franchi's jumper with 40 seconds left in the second period, but four Chargers scored during a tying 9-0 run that bridged halftime.
• Santos' triple capped a quick 5-0 spurt that snapped the deadlock, but consecutive Ahayeva buckets finished off a go-ahead 7-0 stretch (31-29). Tyler's lay-in at seven seconds sent the teams into the final quarter tied at 31.
• New Haven went ahead for good on Bassett's trey 36 seconds into the fourth period, with the lead never getting larger than four points.
• After forcing a shot clock violation with less than 10 seconds left and down by three points, the Purple Knights had a game-tying three-point bid at the buzzer fall offline.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Next Friday in an NE10 Championship first-round game, with details to be determined on Tuesday.