UNH's Eva DeChent looks to drive during Friday's win over Merrimack at Lundholm Gym. (Courtesy photo by Katie Beaudrot/UNH Athletics)

DURHAM – Junior guard Eva DeChent scored game-high 26 points to lead the University of New Hampshire women’s basketball team to Friday afternoon’s 65-61 comeback victory against Merrimack College at Lundholm Gym.

DeChent shot 50 percent from the floor (8-for-16) and made nine free throws; she also led the team in both rebounds (seven) and steals (five), and recorded three assists and a block.

Junior guard Maggie Cavanaugh scored a season-high 15 points and filled the stat sheet with a game-high five assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Senior forward Camryn Fauria scored five of her seven points in the closing minutes of the game with a 3-pointer that gave the Wildcats a 62-59 lead with 1:20 remaining and two free throws with six seconds left to make it a two-possession game, 65-61. Fauria also pulled down six rebounds.

Merrimack was led by Mia Fiore (15 points, nine rebounds), Lydia Melashenko (13 points) and Oralye Kiefer (12).

UNH remained unbeaten at home (3-0) to improve to 3-6 overall. MC is now 3-5.

UNH returns to action Sunday at noon at 22nd-ranked Louisville.

MEN’S HOCKEY

UNH 1, MAINE 0

Sophomore forward Cam MacDonald scored the game winner and senior goalie Kyle Chauvette of Goffstown made 21 saves to record his second straight shutout as the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team defeated No. 11 Maine, 1-0, on Friday night at Alfond Arena in Hockey East action.

The Wildcats, who have won three consecutive games, improve to 8-7-0 (4-4-0 Hockey East), while the Black Bears fall to 8-6-1 (5-4-0 Hockey East).

MacDonald gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead when he stole the puck in the Maine zone and went on a breakaway firing a shot over the glove of Maine goalie Mathis Rousseau at 4:14 of the third period.

The Wildcats will conclude the two-game Border Battle series at Maine on Saturday at 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

MAINE 4, UNH 3 (OT)

Maine netted the game-winning goal off the opening faceoff in overtime, when Kendall Sundby pulled a move on UNH goalie Noemi Martinez, beating her to take the game at the Whittemore Center in Durham.

With time winding down and Martinez on the bench, UNH’s Aurora Kahlert found Nina Rossi in the right face-off circle, shooting the puck on a rope through traffic and beating Kiia Lahtinen to tie it up at 3 with 14.3 seconds to play.

The Black Bears (6-11-1, 3-5-1 HEA) earned their first lead of the night 7:25 into the third period, when Stephanie Jacob collected a loose puck in the New Hampshire defensive zone, firing from the face-off circle and beating Martinez glove-side for the 3-2 advantage.

Alyson Hush had two goals to lead UNH; the two teams play in Durham today at 2 p.m.