FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team suffered a 67-53 home setback to Canisius on Thursday evening at the Pitt Center in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play. 

Ny'Ceara Pryor did her part to keep Thursday's contest within striking distance, putting up a game-high 20 points. With 20 tonight, the star junior cleared Kaitlin Sowinski (2005-09) to move into seventh place on the team's all-time scoring list with 1,542. She also finished today with six steals, her second-highest total of the season. 

Nalyce Dudley and Emma Kirby also cleared 10 points tonight with 11 and 10, respectively. Sierra Johnson tallied nine points, four assists and three rebounds in a strong effort. 

Records: 
Sacred Heart: 5-12, 1-7 MAAC
Canisius: 4-14, 3-5 MAAC
 
Leaders: 
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals, 1 block
Nalyce Dudley: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals 

Of Note: 
The Golden Griffins got off to a hot start to today's game, building a 12-4 lead through the first 3:21. SHU answered by scoring the next four points, but Canisius retaliated with a 4-0 run to go back up eight, 16-8, at 4:31. A Griffs' 3-pointer at 1:24 sent the visitors into the second quarter ahead 24-12. 

Canisius got the better of SHU in a low-scoring second quarter 10-9. The Pioneers held the Griffs to 30.8% (4-for-13) shooting from the floor, a drastic change from the opening frame. Pryor and Johnson led the Pios in the period with four points each. After the low-scoring affair, Canisius took a 34-21 lead into the halftime break.

SHU got the home crowd riled up at the start of the third, as a Pryor three-point play and a Dudley layup cut the margin to eight, 34-26. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the Griffs had another answer, going up by a game-high 18, 49-31, at the four-minute mark. Sacred Heart scored four straight to end the quarter, cutting the margin to 14, 49-35, going into the fourth. 

Another three-point play, this time from Kirby, and a Johnson bucket brought the margin to single digits early in the fourth, 49-40. Unfortunately for SHU, this is the closest it would get, as Canisius held on to take the 67-53 victory. 

Up Next: 
Sacred Heart is back at the Pitt Center on Saturday, Jan. 23, for a noon clash against Niagara. Saturday, SHU will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) with different activities before and during the game.