March 7, 2009

Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (March 7, 2009) - Sacred Heart senior Kaitlin Sowinski matched her career-high with 33 points to lead the top-seeded Pioneers past Mount St. Mary's, 73-59, in the opening round of the 2009 Northeast Conference Tournament. Sowinski's 33 points came on 13-of-20 shooting and went along with 10 rebounds for her third-straight double double. Sowinski also tied her owns Sacred Heart Division I record for points in a game.

Sacred Heart (23-7) jumped out to a 6-0 lead to force a Mount timeout just under three minutes in. The Pioneers then ran the lead to 12-4 at 15:35 off back-to-back three's from senior Stephanie Ryan (Coram, NY) and Cosgrove (Andover, MA). The Mount's Brianna Gauthier put up 10 points in the first half and helped pull her team within two by the 13:00 minute mark. Cosgrove got SHU started on an 11-2 run with her second three at 12:47 while Sowinski finished it off with two-straight lay-ins underneath for a 25-16 advantage at 9:31.

Mount (14-16) quickly pulled back within five thanks to a pair of Gauthier buckets but SHU hit two more from downtown off the hands of sophomore Alisa Apo (Freehold, NJ) and freshman Callan Taylor (Overland Park, KS) and went to the half up 11, 35-24. Taylor nearly completed her double double in the first half with nine points and nine boards.

The second half belonged to SHU's center as Sowinski poured in 23 of her 33 before fouling out with 1:24 left in the game. Right out of the locker room Sowinski converted on an Apo feed followed by a long three from the NEC Player of the Year for a 40-24 advantage. Sowinski scored all of the Pioneers next 11 points and to give SHU a 51-34 advantage with 14:16 on the clock.

Mount St. Mary's chipped away and used an 8-0 spurt fueled by a pair of Hassanah Oliver lay-ups to cut the SHU lead to single digits, 51-42, at the 12 minute mark. Sacred Heart went right back to Sowinski who delivered with two-consecutive three-point plays as the Pioneers pushed their lead back to 17, 63-46, with 7:19 left.

Apo left no doubt for the Pioneers as she netted eight of her 15 points down the stretch to keep the Mount for getting no closer than 14-points en route to the win. The sophomore All-NEC first teamer added five assists and five boards to her line for the afternoon.

Taylor, a NEC All-Rookie team pick, matched Sowinski with her third-straight double dip as well, scored 13 points while pulling down a career-best 13 caroms, eight on the offensive end. She also dished out four assists and came up with a steal in 33 minutes of action.

The Pioneers as a team shot 42.2% (27-64) from the field in the win while making 13-of-14 at the free throw line (.929). SHU also held the edge on the boards, 42-36, and in the paint 32-28.

Mount's Gauthier finished with 18 points in her final game but made just one-of-10 from the field in the second half. Westbrook nabbed a double double with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Oliver finished with 10 points in the loss.

Sacred Heart will move on to Sunday's Semifinals to take on the #5 seeded Monmouth Hawks at 1:30 pm in the William H. Pitt Center. Monmouth upset #4 seed Quinnipiac, 69-67.

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