AMHERST - For University of Massachusetts women's basketball coach Sharon Dawley, this weekend's Atlantic 10 Tournament represents an opportunity.

"We have a weekend where we have a chance to end on a better note," said Dawley, who is wrapping up her first year leading the Minutewomen. "Let's end on a note that we can look back on when we're running hills and lifting weights. You always want to look back on a positive memory. I want the last thing we look back on is playing well in the tournament."

The No. 12-seeded Minutewomen (7-22, 3-13) play No. 5 Charlotte (21-8) at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Tsongas Arena in Lowell, which is hosting the event. Charlotte was one of five teams that finished 9-5 in A-10 play.

The winner plays No. 4 Richmond (18-10, 9-5) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Charlotte dominated UMass in their earlier meeting, 80-53 at the Mullins Center on Feb. 5.

"There's been three or four times this semester where I thought we could do some damage," Dawley said. "Our team is very hard working, very resilient. Our team very much wants to send our seniors out the right way. I think those ingredients could lead to a great tournament."

With a largely young roster, Dawley said playing in this tournament could help prepare her team for more success down the road.

"When you have youth, any second you have in a tournament situation prepares them for their future years," Dawley said. "We found at Vermont when we succeeded in the two years in a row that we won (the America East championship), those kids had been there a couple of times. Sometimes it takes getting experience under your belt. Whether you do well or not you've been there. They've gotten through the nervous part of it and they have something to build on each year."

Senior Cerie Mosgrove was optimistic about the Minutewomen's chances. "I think we're all excited. Charlotte is a good team, but it's tough to beat a team twice and I think we have a good shot at it," she said. "We keep telling ourselves eventually we're going to have a run. We've struggled here and there. But I think this is our time. It's been ups and downs all year long. Right now there's no better time to get a win. If we could make a little run in the tournament that would be the best thing we could ask for."

While UMass isn't hosting the event, the Minutewomen are the closest thing to a home team that it has.

Dawley, who is originally from Revere, said she expects some friends and relatives to be in the stands. Mosgrove, a native of Needham, is hoping her brother Colin, who goes to UMass-Lowell, can get out of a lab and bring some friends along to augment the UMass cheering section.

"It's really nice to have this near home my senior year," she said. "I couldn't ask for a better opportunity."

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.