FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team pulled ahead late in its home bout against NJIT, taking a 57-48 victory at the Pitt Center on Wednesday night. 

Ny'Ceara Pryor continued her stellar stretch of play with a game-high 20 points against the Highlanders, her third straight 20-point output. Nalyce Dudley and Sierra Johnson also crossed double-figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Johnson's 11 is a new season-high for the sophomore. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 5-5
NJIT: 5-5
 
Top Performers:
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
Nalyce Dudley: 12 points, 6 rebounds
Sierra Johnson: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals 

How It Happened:
The Pioneers got the better of the Highlanders in a low-scoring first half, 11-6. SHU scored the first five points of the game off two Amelia Wood buckets, one being a three-point play. The Pios led as much as six in the frame, 8-2, before taking a five-point advantage into the second. 

The second quarter was another low-scoring stanza, with the Pioneers leading by as much as seven on multiple occasions. Unfortunately for Sacred Heart, a 4-0 run by the Highlanders over the final 2:05 of the half sent the home team into the halftime break up just three, 22-19. 

SHU's offense came alive in the second half, as Pryor sparked the Pios to a 19-10 win in the stanza. The sophomore guard from Baltimore, Md., scored 10 points and had three steals in the quarter. Pryor's steal and layup with 42 seconds remaining gave the Pioneers a 41-29 lead heading into the fourth. 

A quick 11-2 run by NJIT to start the fourth made things interesting as the game sat at 43-40 Pioneers with 6:12 left in regulation. Fortunately for SHU, it answered almost all of the Highlanders' points for the remainder of the game, pulling away late by making clutch free throws. Pryor capped the contest with a free throw with 25 seconds left to seal a 57-48 home victory for the Pios. 

Sacred Heart's smothering defense told the story of tonight's game, as the Pioneers forced a whopping 23 turnovers, one shy of a season-high. Pryor led the way with four steals, while Johnson finished the night with two swipes. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers are back in action with a road contest at Iona this Sunday. SHU will meet the Gaels at noon at the Hynes Athletics Center in New Rochelle, N.Y.