Newark, N.J. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team fell on the road Wednesday evening in non-conference play at NJIT, 73-52.
Standout guard
Ny'Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers, scoring 17 points with four rebounds, three steals and two assists in 33 minutes.
Carmen Williams also crossed double figures with a season-high 12 points.
Defensively,
Emma Kirby and
Nalyce Dudley led the way with eight and seven rebounds, respectively.
Records:
Sacred Heart: 1-2
NJIT: 2-2
Top Performers:
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Carmen Williams: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
How It Happened:
After the Highlanders raced out to a 7-0 lead at the start of tonight's contest, a SHU timeout helped settle the team. The Pioneers went on a 9-2 run to tie the score at 9-9 with 6:28 left in the first. Pryor and Williams combined to score all nine points for Sacred Heart. Unfortunately for SHU, the Highlanders ended the quarter with a 19-4 run to build a 28-13 lead after one.
The Pioneers started the second quarter stronger than the first, opening the period with a 9-6 surge to cut the margin to 12, 34-12, at the 5:27 mark. The run was capped by a deep 3-pointer from Williams, prompting an NJIT timeout. The SHU deficit hovered around a dozen for the next 4:52 until a Highlanders' triple and a free throw sent the home team into the third up by 19, 48-29.
Sacred Heart upped its defensive intensity in the third quarter, holding NJIT to just four points for the entirety of the frame. On the other hand, SHU scored 10 points, cutting the margin to 13, 52-39, heading into the fourth. Kirby had an impressive third with four rebounds, three points, two steals and a thunderous block.
Unfortunately for the Pios, NJIT sank a couple of early shots as their lead ballooned back up to 19, 59-40, with 7:28 left. The Highlanders never looked back from there, sealing a 73-52 non-conference win.
Up Next:
Sacred Heart is on the road again on Saturday, Nov. 16, to play UAlbany at 2 p.m. in Albany, N.Y.
