FAIRFIELD, CONN. (January 3, 2015)—A 23-4 run over the final 7:37 of the first-half led the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team to a 71-55 win over Saint Francis Brooklyn in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams. The victory improved the Pioneers to 6-5 on the season and 1-0 in league play, while the Terriers fall to 3-10 overall and 0-1 in NEC action.
Sacred Heart led from the outset as Hannah Kimmel (Harpursville, N.Y.) drained a three-pointer 15-seconds into the game. The Pioneers scored the first five points of the contest and built a 20-11 advantage when Katherine Haines (Ridgefield Park, N.J.) laid one home with 10:46 to play in the first half. The Terriers answered with nine consecutive points, in a 2:19 stretch, to knot the score 20-20 with 7:57 to play in the period.
The Pioneer defense allowed only one more field goal (1-7) for SFBK the rest of the way, forcing four Terrier turnovers in the final 6:09 of the first half. Shelby Hickey (Littleton, Colo.) began the Pioneer run with a three-pointer at the 7:37 mark. SHU would score 13 unanswered points, five from Adaysha Williams (LaCross, Wisc.), to build a 33-20 edge with 4:30 to play in the opening half.
Sacred Heart maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second-half, with SFBK getting no closer than 13, 53-40, with 9:37 to play. The lead reached 20 three different times during the second-half as the Pioneers led for 39:25 of the contest.
Kimmel led the Pioneer effort with her third double-double, second consecutive, of the year, with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Williams surpassed her season-high with a 20-point effort, and Gabrielle Washington (Mesa, Ariz.) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Sacred Heart shot 52.8 percent from the field, 28-53, for the game, and went 10-20 from behind the ac. SHU committed only eight turnovers on the day, while coming away with 11 steals.
SFBK was paced by the 19 points of Jaymee Veney, who was 7-10 from the field and had eight rebounds. Sarah Benedetti had 13 points and Alex Delaney finished with 11 points. Leah Fecko led the Terriers with nine rebounds, to go along with seven points. The Terriers shot 51.2 percent, 21-41, from the field, and hit 7-17 from behind the arc. SFBK finished with a 25-24 advantage on the glass.
The Pioneers return to action Monday night, January 5, when they host Central Connecticut State University. Game time at the William H. Pitt Center is set for 5 p.m.
