BRONX, N.Y.—Senior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) scored a season-high 27 points on a career-best seven 3-pointers to lead the UMBC women's basketball team (5-6) to a 66-58 victory over East Carolina (10-2) Monday afternoon on the first day of the Fordham Holiday Classic at Rose Hill Gym.

Cassidy made eight of 13 field goal attempts, including seven of 11 from long distance. Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) posted her fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and sophomore guard Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) tallied 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

With the score tied, 4-4, after 2:25 of play, East Carolina scored 11 straight points to take a 15-4 lead. The Lady Pirates extended their lead to 29-16, but Cassidy made two straight 3-pointers, and the Retrievers trailed by just six, 36-30, at halftime.

An 11-2 UMBC run early in the second half put the Retrievers on top, 46-43. A pair of 3's by East Carolina guard Allison Spivey tied the game at 50-50 with 7:25 to play, but Kurowski quickly responded with a triple of her own 15 seconds later, sparking an 11-0 UMBC run that gave the Retrievers a game-high 61-50 lead.

The Lady Pirates scored six straight points to cut their deficit to five with 1:34 remaining, but the Retrievers held on down the stretch, and a pair of free throws by Kurowski with 12 seconds left sealed the victory.

The second of Cassidy's seven 3-pointers was the 200th of her career, making her just the seventh player in America East history to reach that mark.

UMBC shot 59 percent in the second half and finished at 46 percent for the game while holding East Carolina, which was receiving votes in the most recent ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, to just 22 percent in the period and 33.3 percent for the contest.

Spivey and guard Kelly Smith led the Lady Pirates with 14 points apiece.

The Retrievers return to action on Tuesday, when they take on the host Rams at 1 p.m. on the second day of the Fordham Holiday Classic.