Sacred Heart
2-7,0-0MAAC
Vermont
9-3,0-0America East
Pioneers Fall in Final Non-Conference Game 63-46
12/14/2025 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Fairfield, Conn. – Behind a team-high 13 points from junior Nalyce Dudley, the Sacred Heart women's basketball team closed out its non-conference schedule with a 63-46 loss to the visiting Vermont Catamounts on Sunday afternoon at the Pitt Center.
Dudley's 13 points was one of two players in double figures as she was joined by senior Amelia Wood who capped off the afternoon with 10 points. Combined the pair of leading scorers shot 7-of-14 while also going a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line.
Fouling Dudley and Wood in the scoring column was junior Emma Kirby who finished with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds, while first-year point guard Sophie Nascimento finished with seven points to go along with two assists and three steals.
As a team, the Pioneers shot 34.8 percent from the field, connecting on 16-of-46 field goal attempts, with four of the 16 field goals from outside the three-point arc. Combined, SHU also finished 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
RECORDS
Sacred Heart: 2-7
Vermont: 9-3
TOP PERFORMERS
Nalyce Dudley: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4-9 field goals, 4-4 free throws
Amelia Wood: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3-5 field goals, 3-3 free throws
Emma Kirby: 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3-6 field goals, 3-5 free throws
Sophie Nascimento: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, 1 block
FIRST QUARTER NOTES
· Vermont opened up the scoring nearly 90 seconds into the action before Wood struck first for the Pioneers with a baseline drive and the free throw for an old fashioned three-point play.
· After the Catamounts scored the next three, Kirby and Dudley went back-to-back, the second of which came as Nascimento picked off the Catamounts pass and fed Dudley for two.
· Dudley would strike again two minutes later, this one from outside the arc, providing a 10-8 lead before Sierra Johnson scored her first basket of the day to give the Pioneers a 12-10 lead.
· Vermont would then close out the opening quarter with seven-straight to take a 17-12 lead into the first intermission.
SECOND QUARTER NOTES
· Vermont kept that late first quarter momentum into the second scoring the first two baskets to extend their lead to nine.
· Coming off the bench, Missy Nuku broke up the Catamounts rally with a three pointer off a feed from Johnson.
· The two teams would combined for just nine points over the last six minutes of the quarter as the Catamounts took a 26-19 lead into the halftime break.
THIRD QUARTER NOTES
· Nascimento fired from outside the arc to open up the second half scoring with that bucket coming just 24 seconds into the 10 minute frame.
· Vermont answered with five-straight before Wood and Nascimento went back-to-back to cut the Catamounts lead to five. The second basket of the two from Nascimento came as she picked off the Catamounts point guard just inside the halfcourt line and went straight to the hoop for two.
· Vermont responded by matching those four points before Wood and Dudley went back-to-back again, the first a three pointer from Wood, while Dudley's layup cut the deficit to four.
· Another Dudley layup as she drove the baseline cut the deficit to four once more, 37-33, before the Catamounts closed out the quarter with eight of the final nine points to take a 45-34 lead into the final break.
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES
· Dudley opened up the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws before Vermont rattled off five-straight to extend the lead to 50-36.
· Wood and Siera would combine for four points to cut it down to 10 before the Catamounts scored eight straight to extend their lead to 20, 60-40.
· Kirby closed out the game with the final six points for the Pioneers, pushing her just shy of the double digit mark.
UP NEXT
When they return to the court at the end of the upcoming week, it's back to a 0-0 record for the Sacred Heart women's basketball team as they reset and open up MAAC action on Friday, December 19 with a trip to New Rochelle to take on the Iona Gaels. Opening tip-off in the conference opener is set for 6:00 p.m. with all of the action available live on ESPN+.
