Sacred Heart Earns First Victory of Season at Hartford

Wednesday, November 10

West Hartford, CT

7:00 PM

Sacred Heart

1-0,0-0NEC

Hartford

0-1,0-0America East

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Sacred Heart	16	21	15	19	71
Hartford	13	17	13	19	62

Photo by: Steve McLaughlin

Sacred Heart Earns First Victory of Season at Hartford

11/11/2021 12:04:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Sonia Smith led Pioneers with game-high 22 points

HARTFORD, Conn.— The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team tipped off the 2021-22 season on a high note as it picked up a 71-62 victory at Hartford on Wednesday.

Records
Sacred Heart: 1-0
Hartford: 0-1

Top Performers
Sonia Smith (SHU): 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
Nikki Johnson (SHU): 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Asia McCray (SHU): 13 points, 3 assists

Up Next

Sacred Heart opens up home play against Brown on Sunday, November 14 at 3:30 p.m.

Of Note
Both teams traded baskets in the beginning of the game before Sonia Smith nailed a three to get a 5-0 run going for Sacred Heart. Carly Stroemel scored a layup to extend the lead, 9-4, at the 5:46 mark.

Hartford scored six unanswered points to take a two-point lead lead with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. In the next possession, Nikki Johnson pulled down an offensive rebound and dished it off to Stroemel to tie the game at 13-all.

Johnson followed with a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pioneers a three-point cushion at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Johnson hit another three that sent Sacred Heart on a 8-2 run to take the 24-15 lead. Hartford responded on a 12-4 run to bring the game back down to one, 28-27.

Sacred Heart outscored Hartford 16-6 in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 19, 68-49.

Smith posted a game-high 22 points while Johnson notched 14 points and seven rebounds. Asia McCray finished with 13 points and a career-high three assists.

Sacred Heart shot 41.2% (28-68) and 33.3% (9-27) from the three-point line. The Pioneers scored 21 of its 71 points off 20 Hartford turnovers.

The Pioneers snapped a five-year losing streak with its first win over the Hawks since 1998. The series dates back to 1976 and the last time the two teams met was in 2016.