AMHERST, MASS (1/08/03) - Junior Erin Brady matched a career-high with 26 points and Saint Joseph's (6-6, 2-0 A-10) held Massachusetts (9-4, 1-1 A-10) to just two field goals over the final 8:11 and defeated the Minutewomen, 68-61, at the Mullins Center. "It was a great conference win for us on the road," related SJU head coach Cindy Griffin after the game. "We got a lot of contributions today from a lot of different people in different spots." SJU led by as many as 11 in the first half and had a four-point lead at intermission, 38-34. UMass, however, outscored the Hawks 7-2 to open the second hald to reclaim their first lead, 42-41, since they held a 3-2 advantage in the opening minute. A layup by Brady put St. Joe's back up and after the Minutewomen's Jennifer Butler split a pair of free throws to tie the score at 42-42, the Hawks got a jumper by junior Irina Krasnoshiok and a three-point basket from Amra Mehmedic to again put a small seperation between the two teams. UM would creep with in a single point, 52-51, with 10:56 left, but Brady again answered the call. She sandwiched a pair of driving layups around a bucket by Stephanie Graff to put the Hawks up by seven. UMass would can a three-pointer at the 8:11 mark, but then would not connect from the floor again until Butler scored with just :22 seconds remaining. The Crimson and Gray sizzled from the field in the firsst half in building its early 11-point lead. SJU was 13-21 (61.9%) from the floor and 7-10 on threes in the opening half. Brady's 26 tied her previous career, which she set while playing at American in 2001. She was joined in double figures by Mehmedic with 15 and Graff and Krasnoshiok each scored 11. UMass also had four players in double figures with Butler tallying 16 points and 16 rebounds. "Erin [Brady] has brought this team to a different level offensively. She's now a scoring threat, where at the beginning of the year she wasn't so sure after being a transfer and having to sit out for a year," stated Griffin. "She's brought her game to a different level and in turn that has brought us to a different level." SJU continued its hot shooting of late, particularly from three-point range. SJU hit 10-20 three pointers and is shooting 56.8% (25-44) from beyond the arc in its last three games. The Hawks will host Rhode Island at the fieldhouse on Sundat at 2:00 PM.