FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In front of a raucous home crowd, the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 66-61 loss to crosstown rival Fairfield on Wednesday evening at the Pitt Center.
Ny'Ceara Pryor (26) and
Nalyce Dudley (16) commanded the SHU offense with 42 of the team's 61 points.
Records:
Sacred Heart: 4-4
Fairfield: 5-1
Top Performers:
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists
Nalyce Dudley: 16 points, 9 rebounds
How It Happened:
Both defenses shined in the first half of tonight's game, with Fairfield holding a slim 22-20 lead over the Pioneers at the halftime break. Sacred Heart led by as much as five, 11-6, in the half after a Dudley layup and
Sajada Bonner 3-pointer at the 4:36 mark of the first quarter. The Stags were ahead by as much as six, 22-16, before SHU cut it to two before the break.
The Pioneers began to rally at the start of the third quarter, going on a 15-6 run over the first 4:45 to take a 31-28 lead. Dudley was incredible over the stretch with seven points in the run, including a successful and-one layup. The Stags took the lead a little later, ending the third with a 39-37 advantage.
Sacred Heart started its second straight quarter strong, taking a five-point lead, 46-41, with 6:55 left.
Amelia Wood capped the run with five consecutive points on a layup and a trey. The Pios' advantage decreased over the next few minutes before the road team was up 55-51 with 2:20 remaining.
At the 2:20 mark, the Pioneers started to take over, scoring six points in a row to take a 57-55 lead, the final three coming from Pryor. Pryor's last bucket came with 48 seconds left when she took a hesitation dribble into a pull-up jumper that found nothing but net. Unfortunately for the Pios, Janelle Brown, who finished the night with a game-high 35 points, snuck by a defender at the baseline and scored a layup with one second left to force overtime.
In OT, the lead traded hands multiple times over the first 1:43. With the score tied at 61-61, the Stags put the finishing touches on a comeback win by scoring the final five points of the game.
Pryor continued her stellar stretch of play by scoring a team-best 26 points tonight, one shy of tying her career-best 27 scored against Fairfield last season. The Baltimore, Md., native also recorded seven rebounds, three assists and five steals in an all-around performance. Dudley posted a season-best 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field. She also finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine.
Up Next:
The Pioneers will next hit the road to play Bryant on Saturday, Dec. 2. The opening tipoff for the non-conference clash is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I.
