Giving up 13 unanswered points within the opening five minutes of play, the Massachusetts women’s basketball team lost its 12th straight game after getting shut down by Saint Joseph’s, 87-50, in a road game last night.

The Hawks, (20-7, 11-2 Atlantic 10) who led throughout the entirety of the contest, let the lead shrink to six points before taking over the game and increasing its lead to 25 at halftime.

Redshirt senior forward Chatilla van Grinsven, along with junior Ilze Gotfrida and senior guard Shelby Smith, powered Saint Josephs with 21, 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Up 50-25, the Hawks opened the second half on a five-point run, culminating in a 39-point lead in the final minute of play.

Saint Joseph’s capitalized on UMass’ (3-25, 1-12 A-10) 22 turnovers, turning 13 into points. The Hawks also had nine points on second-chance opportunities.

Youth continued to shine for the Minutewomen as freshman guards Jasmine Harris and Adriana Jordan combined for 21 points while freshman forward Rashida Timbilla chipped in with eight.

UMass’ bench  contributed 35 of 50 points.

The Minutewomen return home to close out its season against Xavier on Saturday. Tip-off is at 1 p.m.

Peter Cappiello can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Cappiello.