FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team rolled to a 78-48 home victory over Saint Francis Monday evening at the Pitt Center to advance to the Northeast Conference Semifinals on Thursday. 

Olivia Tucker tied her career high with 21 points on the night, hitting 3-of-5 3-pointers in one of her best games of the season. Ny'Ceara Pryor was also outstanding, with a game-high 23 points, and seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 22-9, 15-1 NEC
Saint Francis: 5-25, 4-12 NEC

Top Performers:
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Olivia Tucker: 21 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist,
Nalyce Dudley: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals

How It Happened:
The Pioneers opened the game on a tear, going on a 9-2 run over the first 4:14. Sajada Bonner highlighted the run with a triple. The Red Flash rallied and cut the deficit to one, 10-9, before SHU put the pedal to the medal with a 9-0 run to go up 19-10, capped by Tucker's first 3-pointer. A late SFU basket cut the score 19-11, heading to the second. 

An early Red Flash run cut the margin to five early in the third, but another SHU rally put the Pios back up by double digits, 29-17. Sacred Heart led by as much as 13 in the second, 34-21, after a Sierra Johnson triple. A Pryor jumper with 1:11 left sent the Pioneers into the halftime break leading 36-24. 

Sacred Heart burst out of the gates to start the second half, stringing together a 10-3 run to take a 19-point lead, 46-27. Amelia Wood scored the last five points on a triple and a steal and score. SHU went up by 20 for the first time by the 3:27 mark following a 5-0 surge. The Pios remained up 21 by the end of the quarter, going into the fourth ahead 57-36. 

SHU continued to dominate in the fourth, winning the frame by a 21-12 margin, matching the third-quarter score. Taking the quarter by nine points solidified a 30-point home victory, 78-48. 

Up Next:
The top-seeded Pioneers will be back at the Pitt Center on Thursday for an NEC Semifinal against fourth-seeded Merrimack at 7 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.