PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Redshirt Freshman Katie Roth scored 12 points in a four minute span, including 10 consecutive Hartford points, all leading to a come from behind 51-44 victory over UMBC on Wednesday afternoon at the Chase Family Arena. Roth finished with 16 points, joined in double figures by sophomore Amber Bepko who chipped in 11 in her return to the hardwood after injury.

Roth finished the game shooting 7-of-10 from the field, including going a perfect 5-of-5 in the final 6:15 to lead Hartford in what was a game-ending 20-7 run. The post finished a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, grabbed two rebounds and added an assist and a steal, all in 21 minutes off the bench.

Bepko, who missed seven games with an ankle injury, completed her seventh game in double figures after shooting 4-of-10 overall with a three pointer and 2-of-2 at the free throw line. She also grabbed four rebounds and had an assist and a steal.

Overall, Hartford finished the afternoon shooting 35.7 percent from the field on 20-of-56. After making just seven field goals in the first half (7-of-28, 25 percent), the Hawks rebounded to shooting 46.4 percent in the second 20 minute period on 13-of-28. In total, the Hawks were 4-of-16 beyond the arc (25 percent) and 7-of-8 at the free throw line (87.5 percent).

For the third straight game, Hartford passed the ball effectively finishing with 14 assists in 20 total baskets. Alyssa Englert finished with four assists while not committing a turnover and Alex Hall added three assists. Defensively, the Hawks forced UMBC into 16 turnovers and held the Retrievers to 33.3 percent shooting (16-of-48). Hall led Hartford to 11 total steals with a career-high five.

Nikkia Smith would put the first points of the afternoon on the board more than 2:30 into the game and Englert added two more on a layup as Hartford took an early 4-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish in the opening half. The Hawks largest lead of the half came with 12:32 remaining as Bepko knocked down her first shot attempt in seven games a three pointer off a feed from Roth. That basket gave Hartford a 12-4 advantage.

UMBC then scored back-to-back baskets to pull within four before Roth pulled down a defensive board and answered on the offensive end with a jumper that game Hartford a 14-8 advantage with 9:59 remaining before the intermission. That field goal would be the only one for nearly 10 minutes until she hit another jumper with two seconds remaining in the half that provided the 16-13 halftime margin.

The Retrievers suffered the same shooting woes down the stretch in the first half. A layup from Dana Lewis with 7:51 remaining before the break would be the only one until there was 75 seconds remaining. That basket, also from Lewis, pulled the visitors within a bucket 14-12. After a free throw from Brittany Crowell made it 15-13, Roth responded with the final bucket of the half.

Coming out of the break, UMBC scored six of the first eight points to take their first lead of the afternoon at 19-18 with 16:27 remaining. Following that basket, a layup from Raven Harris, the teams would trade baskets for the next five minutes with five ties in that stretch.

Following a jump shot from Bepko with 9:01 remaining that tied the score at 31 UMBC used a 6-0 run to take their largest advantage 37-31 with 7:22 left. Harris would provide four of the six points while a layup from Crowell provided the six point lead for the visitors.

From that point forward, the Hawks would outscore UMBC 20-7, beginning with a layup from Taylor Clark. After the first of two three pointers from Roth pulled the Hawks within one, the Retrievers responded with a three of their own, from Crowell, to regain a 40-36 advantage.

Roth would then score five straight points using her second three pointer of the game to take a one point advantage at 41-40. UMBC answered with a jump shot from Crowell but that would prove to be the final field goal of the game for the Retrievers.

Roth again regained a lead for Hartford with a layup with 3:42 remaining and the Hawks never trailed from that point. That layup from the redshirt freshman began what equaled a 10-0 run and the largest lead for either team at 51-42. Bria White would muster the only remaining points for the Retrievers ending the scoring with a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining, but Hartford dribbled out the last few seconds and secured the third straight victory for the Hawks.

Hartford will play its next game on the road when they travel to the host site of the 2013 America East Championship SEFCU Arena on Saturday, January 19. The Hawks are scheduled to meet the defending champion Great Danes at 2:00 p.m.