FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team came out strong in the first quarter of its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matchup against Siena on Thursday but suffered a 79-59 loss to the Saints at the William H. Pitt Center. 

For the fourth straight game, Ny'Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers in scoring with 20 points, her fifth 20-point outing of the season. The standout junior also chipped in five steals on the defensive end of the court. With 20 points tonight, Pryor is up to 1,499 in her storied career. 

Nalyce Dudley and Emma Kirby also chipped in offensively with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Amelia Wood set a new career-high on defense with six steals against the Saints. Wood and Pryor helped the Pioneers finish with a season-best 21 steals. 

Records: 
Sacred Heart: 5-10, 1-5 MAAC
Siena: 7-8, 4-2  MAAC
 
Leaders: 
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 20 points, 2 rebounds, 5 steals
Emma Kirby: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks

Of Note: 
The Pioneers came out of the gates strong in the first quarter, opening the game with four straight points. A Wood steal and layup started the scoring before Pryor made it 4-0 Pios at the 8:44 mark. 

SHU stayed up four, 8-4, following a Dudley tip-in at 5:26, and led by two after a Pryor triple at 3:49. A basket on the next possession put the lead back at four, 13-9, before Siena ended the frame on a 10-0 run. The surge was capped by a backbreaking Myriam Traore halfcourt heave as time expired to give the visitors a 19-13 lead going into the second. 

The Saints scored the first seven of the second quarter to extend its run to 17 unanswered to go ahead 13, 26-13, by the 6:03 mark of the frame. Back-to-back buckets from Pryor and Carmen Williams ate into the deficit, trimming it to nine, 26-17, but three straight by Siena gave them back a double-digit advantage it did not relinquish. A Sierra Johnson jumper set SHU's deficit at 38-22 heading into halftime. 

Sacred Heart got as close as 11 for the remainder of the game after opening the third quarter on a 5-0 run. Unfortunately for the Pios, the visitors' 11-1 answer shut the door on a comeback. Despite taking the fourth by a 16-15 margin, the Pioneers suffered a 79-59 setback to the Saints on Thursday. 

Up Next: 
The Pioneers hit the road on Saturday, Jan. 18, to take on Saint Peter's at 2 p.m. in Jersey City, N.J.