FAIRFIELD, CONN. (January 10, 2015)—Last minute Pioneer free throws from Hannah Kimmel (Harpursville, N.Y.) and Gabrielle Washington (Mesa, Ariz.) lifted the Sacred Heart women's basketball team to its ninth straight regular-season home win over Saint Francis U 82-77 Saturday afternoon in the William H. Pitt Center. Led by the duos respective 17 points, SHU improves to 7-6 on the season and 2-1 in Northeast Conference play.
With just over five minutes on the clock, an Alexa Hayward jumper sparked a Red Flash comeback in the form of seven unanswered points that cut SHU's lead to 68-65. At the 2:26 mark, Hayward cut through the defense to hit a jumper in the paint, bringing SFU within one point of catching the Pioneers. Adila Gathers brought the Red Flash all the way back overcoming a 15-point deficit tying the score at 72 with a bucket from the line. A good foul shot from sophomore Adaysha Williams (LaCrosse, Wis.) moments later put the Pioneers up one. Aisha Brock answered with a layup to give the Red Flash their first lead since 17:32 in the first half, 76-75.
Kimmel landed a pair of free throws with 43 seconds on the clock to give SHU back the lead 77-76, but Cydney Smith made one of two from to knot the score at 77 heading into the final 30 seconds of the game.
Three seconds later, Kimmel was back at the line for two shots after being fouled by Maya Wynn. Clinching to win for the Pioneers, the red shirt junior knocked down both shots for the 79-77 advantage.
The game opened with the teams exchanging baskets. Brock's three was the difference maker, allowing the Red Flash to lead until Katie Shepard (Lone Tree, Colo.) dished the ball out to Washington on the right wing for three giving the Pioneers their first lead of the game, 9-8.
With SHU up 13-10, Hayward knocked down a triple from the top of the key to even the score, but Shelby Hickey (Littleton, Colo.) answered with a lay-in igniting a 9-2 Pioneer run, which included eight points from the sophomore, and a free throw from junior Lerae Ettienne (Kensington, Md.), who pulled down 10 rebounds in the first half alone.
SFU made it a one possession game with 1:19 left in the half as Hayward's two free throws cut Sacred Heart's lead to 31-29. But just seconds later, Shepard was sent to the line after a foul was called against Corissa Archer. The senior sunk her two shots holding off a Red Flash resurgence. 33 seconds before the buzzer, Kimmel got off the final shot of the period to send the Pioneers into the break leading 36-29.
Sacred Heart extended its lead to 11 points early, opening the second half with three straight baskets. The Red Flash worked its way back, cutting SHU's lead to just six points before Williams drove the lane for a 59-50 Pioneer lead.
It was a day of career-bests for the Pioneers. Ettienne, a big game-changer for SHU, posted the first double-double of her career with a personal best 14 rebounds and 11 points. Kimmel recorded her third double-double in four games adding a career-high 14 rebounds to her double-digit point total. Senior point guard Shepard tied her career-best dishing out nine assists
Sacred Heart makes its first road trip of the conference season beginning Monday when they travel to Brooklyn, N.Y. to face the Blackbirds at 7:00 p.m.
