Brooklyn Heights, N.Y.—Ericka Norman (Chino Hills, Calif) led the Pioneers to their twentieth win of the season with a game-leading 19 points. Shoting only 33.3% from the field, the Sacred Heart women's basketball team edged out St. Francis (NY) 57-53. The Pioneers hold onto first place boosting their conference record to 13-2 and are now 20-6 overall.
Back-and-forth action had the score tied three times within the first 10 minutes of the game. Sacred Heart pulled away on a trey from sophomore Blair Koniszewski (Vienna, Va.). After a jumper by Morgan Merriman (Seattle, Wa.), the Pioneers stalled at 13 points allowing the Terriers to come back and snag their first lead of the game on a Jasmin Robinson layup.
A pair of free throws by
Callan Taylor (Overland Park, Kan.) gave Sacred Heart back the lead. They would carry that lead into halftime, heading into the locker room just two points ahead of St. Francis (NY) 23-21.
Out of the halftime gate, Sacred Heart put up six points before allowing St. Francis to score. Trading possessions and points allowed the Terriers to chip away at the lead, finally regaining it on a Jessica Kaufman layup, but an Enjoli Bland (Queen Creek, Ariz.) quickly tied the game again at 36.
Once again, Taylor at the charity stripe boasted the Pioneers to lead the game 38-36. Sacred Heart maintained that lead until the five-minute mark when Kaufman put another two points on the board and gave St. Francis (NY) their final lead of the game.
Just before the four-minute mark, Taylor landed a trey to put the Pioneers back on top 49-45, a lead they would carry to the final buzzer
Ericka tied a career-high, totaling 19 points in the 57-53 victory.
The team heads back to Brooklyn on Monday to face the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds.
