Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – A sluggish start on offense put the Sacred Heart women's basketball team in a hole that they couldn't dig out of in a 48-39 loss to Saint Francis U at home on Monday night. SHU falls to 8-15 (5-7 NEC) with their fourth straight loss while the Red Flash (11-13, 9-4 NEC) hold steady at third in the conference standings.
Allyson Murphy led the way with a season-high 11 points (4-9 FG, 2-3 3FG) while Olivia Dabney grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and Abigail Kangudie came two points shy of her first career double-double as she racked up eight points and 10 rebounds in defeat.
1st Quarter (8-6 SHU)
- Team defense was on display in the early going as the two sides combined for just 14 points in the opening quarter
- Murphy hit her first of two three-pointers in the game to put SHU out in front 6-4 with 4:16 left in the period
- Dabney later added a jumper from just outside the paint as the Pioneers led 8-4, their largest lead of the game
- Haley Thomas scored on the final SFU possession of the first to make it an 8-6 game heading into the second
2nd Quarter (21-14 SFU)
- The Red Flash vaulted out in front with a strong showing in the second, outscoring the Pioneers 15-6 in the frame to take a seven-point lead into halftime
- SHU was bothered by the impressive Red Flash defense, going just 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) from the floor
- SFU took advantage with their most-productive quarter of the game, hitting 6-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-4 from long range
3rd Quarter (35-26 SFU)
- Five quick points from Nikki Johnson to start the second half cut the seven-point lead down to two
- Despite the early pressure from SHU, the Red Flash recovered and went on an 11-2 run to take their first double-digit lead of the game at 32-21
4th Quarter (48-39 SFU)
- The Pioneers attempted to make a game of it late, cutting the lead down to six on multiple occasions early in the fourth
- Kangudie converted a three-point play and Johnson later hit a couple free throws to make it 37-31 with 6:05 remaining
- With the lead still in-range, the Red Flash proved too much on the evening as seven unanswered points sealed the victory for the visitors
NOTES
- SHU committed only 10 turnovers, way lower than their season average of 16.7 per game, while forcing SFU into 24 turnovers on the other end
- SHU also garnered 11 offensive rebounds compared to just five for SFU but the rebounding battle was won by the Red Flash 43-35
- The 21.9 field goal percentage and 12.5 three-point percentage for SHU are both season-lows
- The Pioneers have scored less than 40 points in two straight games
NEXT GAME
SHU next plays on Monday, Feb. 17 with a trip to LIU and follows with another road game to Merrimack next Friday, Feb. 21.
