THE BASICS:
 
- Score: Saint Mary's University (Minn.) 60, MIT 53
 
- Records: MIT (5-6); Saint Mary's (3-6)
 
- Location: Gallantin, Tenn. (Welch College)
 
- The Lead: A three-pointer with 2:43 remaining coupled with a 4-for-4 performance at the free throw line during the final 26 seconds helped Saint Mary's University (Minn.) defeat the MIT women's basketball team, 60-53, at the Music City Classic on Friday. Sophomore Kamsi Nwogu (Algonquin, Ill.) powered the Engineers with 18 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- After a back-and-forth start to the game, MIT inched away as a three-pointer by graduate student Paula Pieper (Greenville, S.C.) gave the Engineers a 17-12 lead at the end of the frame.
 
- MIT maintained its small margin during most of the second stanza, but a layup by Saint Mary's tied the score at 24 with 1:56 remaining. The Engineers created some breathing room courtesy of a trey from sophomore Sarah Berman (York, Pa.) and a Pieper jumper; however, the Cardinals drained a jumper at the buzzer to make the score 29-26 at halftime.
 
- MIT gradually increased its lead to eight points (36-28) following a jumper by first-year Alice Hall (Ambler, Pa.) at the 5:48 mark. Saint Mary's responded with a 9-3 run which resulted in a 39-39 tie at the end of the quarter.
 
- A pair of jumpers by Hall gave the Engineers a four-point edge after 1:29 elapsed in the fourth quarter. However, the Cardinals went on an 11-2 run in a span of 2:14, going ahead for good at 52-45 with 5:54 on the clock. The Engineers battled back, tying the game at 53 on a basket by Nwogu with 3:09 remaining. Saint Mary's knocked down a three-pointer on its ensuing possession and after a defensive battle it secured the victory with four free throws during the last 26 seconds.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Pieper generated 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists as Hall recorded eight points, five rebounds, and a block.
 
- This was the first meeting between both programs.
 
- MIT led the way in bench scoring (10-2) while the Cardinals ended the day with advantages in rebounds (45-34), points in the paint (32-28), points off turnovers (12-8), second-chance points (10-4), and fastbreak points (10-2).
 
- The Engineers shot 34.5 percent (20-of-58) from the floor, 35.7 percent (5-of-14) from three-point range, and 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from the free throw line.
 
- Saint Mary's shot 38.2 percent (21-of-55) from the floor, 20 percent (4-of-20) from behind the arc, and 77.8 percent (14-of-18) at the charity stripe.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 4 when it hosts Smith College for a 4:30 p.m. non-conference contest.
 
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