AMHERST - With 4 minutes, 7 seconds left in the last game she'd ever play in the Mullins Center, University of Massachusetts senior guard Megan Zullo drove to the basket.

Rhode Island had just cut UMass' lead to five points, but Zullo laid it in.

After a URI miss, at the other end, Shakia Robinson got the ball to Zullo at the top of the key. She pulled up and buried the 3-pointer to finish off the Rams as UMass pulled away for the 68-57 win on Senior Night.

"We definitely did not want to lose the game," said Zullo, who finished with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds. "Everybody was pumped up for the game."

UMass coach Sharon Dawley said the team was more focused on getting Zullo and fellow senior Emilie Teuscher a win on senior night that it was improving its postseason situation.

"We're pretty excited sitting here with a win. Our No. 1 priority as a program was to win for the seniors," Dawley said. "Yes we need a win to get in the tournament, but more important was to make sure the last game here for our two seniors was a victory so they could attach some good memories and some fun to that."

The win coupled with Fordham's loss to St. Bonaventure put the Minutewomen (8-20, 3-10 Atlantic 10) alone in 12th place. If Fordham (2-11) loses at home to Saint Louis, the Minutewomen would finish at least 12th and in the tournament no matter what they do in their 2 p.m. Sunday game at Xavier. But if UMass wins, it would be ahead of both Fordham and Xavier (4-9) and could get as high as 10th if George Washington (4-9) loses at Saint Joseph's.

It was UMass' second straight win without injured point guard Carolann Cloutier, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Zullo has moved from the wing to the point.

"We've improved quite a bit in the last week or so. I think the big obstacle we have to get by was when we lost Carolann at Saint Louis," Dawley said. "Meg took the reins and she's been doing a phenomenal job."

UMass looked like it might win in a laugher early. Behind a 3-point barrage, the Minutewomen jumped out to a 22-8 lead with 8:42 left in the first half. But the offense went cold. Rhode Island closed the half on a 16-5, cutting its deficit to 26-23 after holding the Minutewomen without a field goal for the last 6:47 of the half.

Teuscher (eight points) was scoreless in the first half, but she came out sharp and led the UMass surge out of halftime with five points in the 9-0 run that made the home team's edge comfortable again at 35-23.

"I wasn't surprised it was her who knocked those shots down." Dawley said. "That's what she does."

The Minutewomen couldn't quite put Rhode Island (1-27, 0-13 Atlantic 10) away for most of the second half, but the Rams never got within one possession either.

Jasmine Watson led UMass with 15 points. Emily Mital and Robinson each had 11. Dawley was impressed with freshman forward Millie Niggeling, who had nine points off the bench.

"To have a post player who can go 3-for-3 from 3-point range and have four assists is unusual," Dawley said. "She brings something totally different to the table."

Zullo said the Minutewomen are confident heading into Sunday and potentially beyond.

"There's definitely confidence now. I don't think we've been on a two-game winning streak (in league play)," she said. "Today, everybody stepped up and showed us something."

NOTES - Zullo's three 3-pointers gave he 187 in her career. She needs four to match Katie Nelson for the school's career record. Senior manager Alana Berg was also honored on senior night.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.