EMMITSBURG, Md. – Rachel Mathews (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) scored the go-ahead basket with 43 seconds remaining to lift Mount St. Mary's past Bryant 66-61 in Northeast Conference (NEC) women's basketball action on Saturday.

With the game tied at 61, Mathews scored on a layup with 43 seconds on the clock to give the Mount the lead for good. The sophomore would then seal the victory with two free throws with eight seconds left. Mathews finished the game with a career-high 11 points along with five assists off the bench.

Ashley Christie (Miamisburg, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) paced the Mount (7-9, 3-2 NEC) with 12 points. Sydney Henderson (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) added 11 points while Selina Mann (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield) stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, eight assists and six steals. The junior has registered 18 thefts in her last three games.

Meredith Soper led the Bulldogs (10-6, 3-2 NEC) with 18 points and eight rebounds. Naana Ankoma-Mensa tallied 14 points and 16 rebounds while Katie Whittington chipped in 10 points in the losing effort.

Mount St. Mary's was able to rally from a 10-point first-half deficit and six-point second-half margin to take the lead for good in the waning moments and hold on for the victory to improve to 6-2 at Knott Arena including 3-0 in league play this season.

After Whittington tied the game at 61 on two free throws with 66 seconds remaining, Mathews scored in the lane 23 seconds later to give the Mount the lead for good. Christie increased the edge to three points after making the second of two charity tosses with 18 seconds left before Mathews sealed the victory with two free throws with eight ticks on the clock.

In the first half, Mount St. Mary's jumped out to a 14-9 lead thanks to seven points from Tara Lonergan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side).

Bryant then went on an 18-3 run to grab a 27-17 advantage with 5:58 left in the first half. Ankoma-Mensa sparked the run with eight points. The Bulldogs went into the locker room with a 35-28 margin.

Henderson hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first half and then the Mount opened the second half on a 14-4 run to grab a 42-39 edge with 15:07 remaining.

After Brittany Stuhura hit 1 of 2 at the free throw line, the Mountaineers scored the next five points thanks to a layup by Christie and a traditional 3-point play by Mathews to trim the margin to 36-33. Soper answered with a trey at 17:15, but Christie and Henderson each nailed a bucket from behind the arc to hand Mount St. Mary's a three-point edge.

Powered by five points from Danielle Douglas, Bryant responded with a 14-5 run to reclaim the lead at 53-47 with 9:31 on the clock.  The Mount answered to tie the game 53 after a Kayla Grossett (Toronto, Ontario/David and Mary Thompson C.I.) 3-pointer, two free throws from Christie and a free throw from Mathews.

Mount St. Mary's would go up four twice over the next four minutes before Whittington tied the game at 61 to set up Mathews' heroics in the final minute.

Mount St. Mary's returns to the hardwood on Monday when the squad concludes its two-game homestand against Central Connecticut State. Game time is 7 p.m.