FAIRFIELD, Conn.— It was a successful senior day as the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team beat Central Connecticut State 56-45 on Saturday. With the victory, the Pioneers clinch the No. 2 seed in the Northeast Conference tournament. Before the game, Sacred Heart honored its five seniors, Wil'Lisha Jackson, Maya Klein, Savannah Marshall, Carly Stroemel and Olivia Tucker.
 
Records:
Sacred Heart: 14-13, 11-4, NEC
CCSU: 7-20, 3-12 NEC
 
Top Performers:
Olivia Tucker: 13 pts, 3 rebs
Sajada Bonner: 11 pts, 4 rebs
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 11 pts, 3 asts, 3 stls
Sierra Johnson: 10 pts
 
Of Note
CCSU jumped out to a 9-2 lead seven minutes into the contest. After both teams went cold from the field for two minutes, first year Ny'ceara Pryor scored the Pioneers' next three points, followed by two free throws from Sajada Bonner that made it a four-point game, 11-7.
 
Both teams traded baskets in the final two minutes, but the Blue Devils took a 15-9 edge at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Pioneers adjusted things in the second quarter and put the game away by outscoring the visitor 18-6 and holding them to just 2-of-9 from the field.
 
Sacred Heart grew its lead by 15 in the fourth quarter after senior Olivia Tucker drained her third three-pointer. The score remained in double-digits for the rest of the contest thanks to the Pioneers limiting the Blue Devils to 4-of-12 from the field, including 0-of-4 from behind the arc.
 
Sacred Heart shot 22-of-61 (36.1%) in field goal range compared to CCSU's 15-of-55 (27.3).
 
Four Pioneers posted double-figures in scoring. Olivia Tucker was the lone senior in the double-digit column as she finished with a game-leading 13 points, including nine of them coming on three made triples. Bonner and Pryor each had 11, while first year Sierra Johnson notched 10.
 
Up Next
Sacred Heart wraps up the regular season as it hosts Wagner for its Diversity & Inclusion game on Thursday at 7 p.m.