BROOKLYN –UMBC graduate student Kiara Bell hit 10-of-13 shots from the floor, scoring a career-high 22 points and adding 9 rebounds as the Retrievers edged host St. Francis-Brooklyn, 64-59, in the final intercollegiate contest at famed Pope Physical Education Center.
 
KK White added 12 points for UMBC (2-3), which snapped a three-game slide.
 
The Terriers held a 51-49 lead with 7:07 remaining when Bell converted a layup. After a Terrier miss, Nia Staples drained a trey on a fast break to give the visitors a 54-51 lead with 5:48 remaining.
 
The hosts would tie the score at 54-all, but White hit a fast-break layup with 2:52 remaining and after two empty possessions by both teams, White scored inside again to give UMBC a 58-54 with 78 seconds to play.
 
The Terriers hit a trey, but on UMBC's ensuing possession, they pulled down two offensive rebounds and Bell hit a layup with 29 seconds on the clock to push the lead to 60-57.
 
Bell came down with her final rebound of the game on the next St. Francis effort. White and Bell hit all four free throw attempts in the final three seconds to secure the victory.
 
Bell added three steals and two blocked shots in the contest. Six of her nine rebounds came off the offensive glass.
 
The Retrievers jumped out to a 14-7 lead, but settled for a 16-14 advantage after 10 minutes. The Terriers took control in the second quarter, leading by six points on multiple occasions, but UMBC scored the final six points of the period and the teams went to halftime deadlocked at 32-all.
 
UMBC outscored St. Francis, 15-14, in the third quarter and led, 47-46 after 30 minutes.
 
The Retrievers have 10 days off before facing Lafayette in Easton, Pa. on Wednesday, Nov. 30.