The UMBC Women's Basketball team will look to head into America East play on a high-note when it closes 2023 by hosting Saint Francis at 4 p.m. on December 29. 

The game is the first game of a UMBC Hoops doubleheader as the Men's Basketball team hosts American at 7:30 p.m.

Last time out, Trinity Palacio's runner with 1.8 seconds left capped a game ending 9-0 run and gave the UMBC Women's Basketball team a 60-59 win over host American on Wednesday afternoon.

Palacio scored seven of her season-best 10 points during that final run, which began when she hit a three with 2:43 left to cut the Eagles lead to 59-54.

A minute later, Laura Lacambra, who finished with a team and career-high 11 points, would get a steal and Jaden Walker would finish the break with a layup to cut the deficit to three.

After another AU miss, Palacio would get a layup with 57 seconds left to make it a one point game. UMBC would get another stop and, after a timeout, Palacio would eventually hit her shot for the win. AU was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.

The fourth quarter was a wild one, as UMBC scored the first four points to take a 51-46 lead with 8:07 left, before AU would score the next 13 points to take a game-high 59-51 lead with only three minutes remaining.

Walker finished with eight points and a team-high six rebounds, while Carmen Yánez and Anna Blount also added eight points each. Jordon Lewis scored seven points, all in the second half, while Paloma Iradier added six.

Jaliena Sanchez dished out five assists to go with her two points.

The Retrievers held a 44-30 advantage in the paint, and won the rebound battle, 36-25.

Scouting Saint Francis:

• Last Thursday, Saint Francis dropped its final matchup against a Power Five opponent of the season, Syracuse, 85-43 in front of a crowd of 9,109 fans.
• Destini Ward led Saint Francis with nine points and added three rebounds and one steals.
• Kameryn Dorsey scored eight points on 4-of-7 shooting, followed by Kendall Carruthers' seven.
• Julianna Gibson led the team with seven rebounds and added four points.

All-Time Series:

• SFU leads the all-time series, 8-5, but the two haven't met since 2003.
• The last matchup was on 3/15/03 when the Red Flash defeated the Retrievers, 58-41, in the NEC Championship game.
• That was UMBC's first league championship game in men's or women's basketball.