Orangeburg, N.Y. (November 15) -- Saint Anselm rallied to take the lead in the closing minutes but couldn't hold on in a 54-51 loss to Nyack on day one of the Dominican College Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Saint Anselm trailed by a 31-22 margin at halftime and fell behind by a 40-26 score in the second half. The Hawks cut the lead to 48-44 with under five minutes left and tied the game at 48-48 on a jumper by sophomore Katie Larkin (Goffstown, N.H.). The Hawks took a lead at 51-48 on a trifecta from freshman Haley Poupore (Malone, N.Y.) before the Warriors rallied for the win. Christy Porter (Highland, N.Y.) scored on a layup with under 30 seconds left for a one-point lead and Kelsy McIntosh (North Pole, Alaska) sealed the win with two free throws at 54-51.

Victoria Sweet (Harlem, N.Y.) scored a team-high 20 points, while McIntosh chipped in 13. Poupore led the Hawks with 15 points, followed by Megan Howard (St. Paul, Minn.) with a 14-point, 11-rebound effort in her collegiate debut.

With the loss, the Hawks fall to 0-1 overall and are back in action tomorrow when the Hawks take on Dominican in a 2 p.m. start in Orangeburg.