BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Junior Beth Suggs (Bath, Maine) made the second of two free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining to break a tie game and lift the University of New England women's basketball team to a 63-62 victory over Rhode Island College in non-conference action Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center.

The Anchorwomen had a look to steal the win away from UNE, but the running jumper at the buzzer was too strong.

After facing a deficit as high as 23 (46-23) early in the second half, a hoop by sophomore Stephanie Prusko (Lincoln, R.I.) with 31 seconds to go cut the margin to just one, at 61-60. UNE senior Kari Pelletier (South Paris, Maine) made her way to the line following a foul with 25 ticks left and converted one of two to make the difference two (62-60), before RIC senior Cynthia Gaudet (Coverntry, R.I.) raced back down for a layup with 0:14 on the clock, tying things at 62-all.

Pelletier finished with a team-best 17 points for the Nor'easters (2-0), going 4-of-7 from the field and 7-of-11 on freebies. The point guard also added five assists and five steals on the day. Junior Liz LeBlanc (Jay, Maine) hit three from behind the arc and ended with 12 points in support, while Suggs and senior Kelley Paradis (Newport, Maine) chipped in with 11 each. Additionally, Suggs grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, and Paradis tallied four blocked shots.

Senior Rachel Riley (Coventry, R.I.) had 17 points to lead the Anchorwomen (0-1), cashing in on all seven of her attempts from the floor and all three of her free throw tries. Gaudet was solid all-around, posting 11 points to go with six rebounds, six assists, and six steals.

The teams traded the first three baskets of the contest with RIC in front, before a three-pointer from Paradis gave the hosts the advantage at 5-4. UNE maintained that lead throughout, building the margin up to 12 (26-14) with eight straight points in a span of 1:23 later in the half -- which included a pair of treys from Pelletier.

UNE had the cushion up at 17 inside the final minute of the period, until a bucket from Riley, followed soon after by a buzzer-beating shot from deep by senior Nicole Girard (Foster, R.I.), reduced the Big Blue lead to 33-21 at the break. Girard's hoop was RIC's lone attempt made out of 11 from three-point-land during the opening 20 minutes, and the visitors registered just 25 percent (8-of-32) overall in the half.

The Nor'easters overcame 16 turnovers in the stanza by shooting 48 percent (12-for-25) in the period and canning 6-of-11 from long distance.

Big Blue came out with 11 of the initial 13 points in the second half to go ahead 46-23, before the Anchorwomen began to chip away at the large deficit. Junior Ashley O'Dell (Lincoln, R.I.) tallied eight of her 10 points and classmate Courtney Burns (Rockland, Mass.) had all of her eight during the 39-16 stretch to get the game back even at 62-62.

The game-winning free throw by Suggs -- her only make of the afternoon -- ended the comeback bid.

UNE visits nationally-ranked Bowdoin College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.), while Rhode Island College next heads to Bridgewater State for a game the same and time.