NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team could not overcome a strong fourth quarter at Merrimack on Thursday evening, as the Warriors earned a 64-53 win in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play in North Andover, Mass.

Ny'Ceara Pryor led the way for the Pioneers with her second double-double of the season on 18 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. She also tallied four assists and four steals. 

Emma Kirby and Amelia Wood also crossed double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Kirby almost finished with a double-double with eight boards. 

Records: 
Sacred Heart: 5-8, 1-3 MAAC
Merrimack: 7-6, 3-1 MAAC
 
Leaders: 
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Emma Kirby: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Amelia Wood: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks

Of Note: 
The Pioneers and Warriors traded buckets at the start of tonight's game, with SHU holding a 7-4 advantage over the first 3:23. Kirby opened the SHU's scoring with five straight, three coming from an old-fashioned three-point play. Merrimack fought back to take a 14-12 lead before a Pryor and one gave the visitors a 15-14 advantage through 10 minutes. 

The second quarter was another hard-fought battle, with the lead switching hands after each of the first five baskets. With the Warriors up four, 24-20, at the 3:57 mark, the Pioneers' defense locked in and held them scoreless for the remainder of the frame. On the other hand, Sacred Heart scored six points to take a 26-24 lead into halftime. 

Merrimack burst out of the gates in the second half, opening the quarter on a 10-0 run to prompt a SHU timeout. The Pioneers were ready with an answer, stringing together a 16-7 spurt over 4:50 of game time to take a 42-41 advantage. Wood led the way for Sacred Heart with six points in the run, while Pryor added five. Unfortunately for SHU, the Warriors hit a pair of free throws with one second left to take a 43-42 lead. 

MC got off to another good start in the fourth quarter, widening its advantage to six, 49-43, by scoring six of the first seven points. SHU got as close as three, 51-48, for the rest of the game following a corner three from Carmen Williams with 4:03 left. Unfortunately for the Pios, Merrimack made their late free throws, while SHU missed a few from the line, which halted a chance at a comeback for the visitors. A pair of free throws from Mia Fiore with 11 seconds remaining iced the final score at 64-53 Merrimack. 

Up Next: 
The Pioneers return to the Pitt Center for the first time in 2025 on Saturday, Jan. 11, to play Mount St. Mary's (Md.) at noon.