FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sunday marked the culmination of all of the goals the 2023-24 Sacred Heart University women's basketball team set for itself coming into the season. The Pioneers secured their second consecutive Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship behind a dominant 69-48 victory over Le Moyne at the Pitt Center.
The Pios were led by NEC Tournament MVP
Ny'Ceara Pryor with 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals. The outstanding sophomore also broke the single-season scoring record tonight, passing Amanda Pape's mark of 620 points in the fourth quarter.
Amelia Wood joined Pryor on the All-Tournament Team with a 15-point, seven-rebound performance.
Records:
Sacred Heart: 24-9, 15-1 NEC
Le Moyne: 18-14,14-2NEC
Top Performers:
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 1 block
Amelia Wood: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Sajada Bonner: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
How It Happened:
The Pioneers' defensive success started in the first quarter when they held the Dolphins to eight points on 4-for-15 shooting (26.7%). SHU forced nine Le Moyne turnovers.
Sacred Heart's offense came by way of Pryor, who tied Le Moyne with eight points in the frame. The NEC Player of the Year helped the Pios end the first on a 7-4 run with five of her eight points to send SHU into the second up 17-8.
The Pioneers opened the second on a torrid 9-2 run to grow its lead to 16, 26-10, at the 3:41 mark. The SHU advantage stayed at 16 by the end of the half, as Sacred Heart was up 32-16 at the halftime break.
A quick 9-3 surge at the start of the third forced a timeout by the Dolphins, as SHU's lead ballooned to 22, 41-19, with 6:40.
It was smooth sailing from there for the Pioneers, as their lead never dipped below 20 for the remainder of the game. SHU led by as much as 30 in the fourth quarter, 64-34, before cutting the nets with a 69-48 victory.
The Pioneers earned the win today behind an excellent defensive performance. SHU held the second-best team in the conference with just 48 points, and the team's ninth game allowed 50 or fewer points. The Dolphins' .293 field goal percentage (17-for-58) was also the fourth-worst by a SHU opponent this season. The Pios held Le Moyne to 24 points over the first three quarters before the vistors doubled their score in the fourth after the game was decided.
Up Next:
The Pioneers return to the NCAA Tournament this week with a First Four matchup against Big South champions Presbyterian on Wednesday, March 20. The start time of Wednesday's contest is still to be determined. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.
