PHILADELPHIA – Senior guard Taylor Peltzer (Holland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) scored 10 points, but her most important two came with 5.7 seconds remaining as she hit a lay-up to give the Philadelphia University women's basketball team a 54-52 win over Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opponent University of the Sciences Tuesday night in the Gallagher Center.

With the win, Philadelphia (2-0, 1-0 CACC) snapped its four-game losing streak against the University of the Sciences (0-3, 0-1 CACC), and picked up its first home win over the Devils since March 3, 2009.

Sophomore guard Najah Jacobs (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) was also in double figures with 10 points. Junior guard Megan Finn (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) and sophomore guard Monica Schacker (Doylestown, Pa./Germantown Academy) each added eight points.

The Devils got 23 points and eight rebounds from Brianne Traub, and 11 points from Carolyn Edwards.

A 15-5 run University of the Sciences' run, including seven of Elsebeth Birman's nine points, put Philadelphia in a 19-12 hole with 6:36 left in the half. Philadelphia clawed its way out with a 12-4 surge, capped by a Peltzer lay-up, to retake the lead at the 42 second-mark, 24-23. Jacobs canned a jumper with six seconds left to give the Rams a 26-23 halftime lead.

Balanced scoring to open the second half allowed Philadelphia to extend the gap to a game-high eight points (34-26) with 16:27 still to play. The lead shrunk to two (40-38) when Edwards hit a 10-foot jumper.

Then both teams went cold from the floor, combining to score 14 points over a 6:02 stretch and allowed the Rams to maintain its two-point lead (47-45).

The Devils tied the score at 50 with 3:41 left when Traub was able to make a lay-up. After a scoreless two minutes, senior forward Kristen Blye (Chester Springs, Pa./Dowiningtown) put the Rams back in front with two of her six points. Once again Traub tied the score as she hit two free throws with 14 seconds remaining.

Thanks to a career-high 15 rebounds from Blye, Philadelphia owned a 46-34 advantage on the glass, including a 16-7 gap in offensive rebounds.

The Rams shot 34.3 percent (23-of-67) from the field, while the Devils hit at a 38.2 percent (21-of-55) clip. University of the Sciences shot 6-of-9 from the line, with Traub going 6-of-7. Philadelphia made five of its nine attempts at the stripe.

Philadelphia heads to West Chester to compete in the Carol Eckman Classic this weekend. The Rams open the Classic against Mercy on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m.