BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. (January 18, 2014)—Shelby Hickey (Littleton, Colo.) led the Pioneers with 12 points as the Sacred Heart women's basketball team posted its lowest score of the season in Saturday's 69-49 loss to St. Francis Brooklyn. SHU drops to 6-10 on the season and 3-2 in Northeast Conference play, while the Terriers remain undefeated at home improving to 13-3.
Both teams managed just four shots each in the first four minutes. Hickey, who went 4-for-5 from the field, got the Pioneers on the board in her first career start landing a three from the right wing. The freshman's basket accounted for the Pioneers' only points until Gabrielle Washington (Mesa, Ariz.) found Enjoli Bland (Queen Creek, Ariz.) under the basket. The senior forward banked it in added two points for Sacred Heart, but in the meantime, the Terriers had put six on the board.
Johanna Lopez (Silver Spring, Md.) gave Sacred Heart its first lead of the day. Inside the thirteenth minute, Lopez showed her strength on defense intercepting a SFBK pass and taking it to the hoop on the fast break to put SHU up 10-9. The lead didn't last long as SFBK's Leah Fechko answered with a layup giving the Terriers a one-point lead.
The Terriers, who penetrated the Sacred Heart defense to shoot 52.5% in the first half, went on an 11-4 spurt before Hickey drove the lane for two points and getting a foul called for the and one decreasing SFBK's lead to three points, 22-19 with six minutes left in the half.
Just under the five minute mark, Lopez added two from the charity stripe to bring the Pioneers within one point of catching the Terriers, but Jaymee Veney held off the surging Sacred Heart offense with a layup, which sparked a 16-7 run. Hickey landed her second triple of the day just seconds before the buzzer sending Sacred Heart into the halftime break trailing 38-28.
St. Francis Brooklyn continued to expand its lead in the second half while playing tough defense, only allowing the Pioneers just six points in the first 10 minutes. A last-minute 10-point burst from Sacred Heart wasn't enough as the Pioneers fell for the second straight game.
Sacred Heart returns home Monday night to host the Central Connecticut Blue Devils in the William H. Pitt Center at 7:00 p.m.
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