Fairfield, Conn. – A second consecutive double double for senior Amelia Wood paced the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team to its fifth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (5-2) win, 70-58 over the visiting Siena Saints.

Wood was one of three Pioneers to put up double figures as she closed out the afternoon with a game-high 21 points, her fifth game of the season, fourth in MAAC play, hitting the 20-point plateau. In addition to her 21 points, she hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds for her fourth double double.

Joining Wood in leading Sacred Heart was first year Sophie Nascimento who finished with 17 points and junior Nalyce Dudley who closed out the game with a dozen. Nascimento saw 15 of her 17 points come in the first half as she exploded in the second quarter to lead the way with 11 points, helping build a 10-point halftime lead, 37-27.

As a team, Sacred Heart finished the game shooting 51 percent from the field, connecting on 25-of-49 field goal attempts. Among the 29 baskets were six from outside the three-point arc, while the Pioneers also combined to go 14-of-21 at the free throw line. After allowing Siena to shoot 58.8 percent in the first quarter, the SHU defense clamped down and limited the Saints to 10-of-48 over the final 30 minutes, including an 0-of-15 second quarter.  

RECORDS
Sacred Heart: 7-9, 5-2 MAAC
Siena: 6-10, 4-3 MAAC

TOP PERFORMERS
Amelia Wood: 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Sophie Nascimento: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Nalyce Dudley: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

FIRST QUARTER NOTES

·       After winning the opening tip, Emma Kirby would get Sacred Heart on the board in its opening possession with a layup that was followed on the next possession by a three pointer from Wood for an early 5-0 lead.

·       Siena answered back quickly with their first basket of the day triggering an 8-0 run for the first lead change.

·       Nascimento put an end to that Siena rally with back-to-back baskets that came less than a minute apart for yet another lead chance.

·       Siena regained the lead on its next basket and despite a pair of ties held onto that lead through the remainder of the quarter to take a 23-17 lead into the first intermission.

·       The Saints saw a balanced effort in the first quarter with six different players all scoring at least a pair, while Wood led Sacred Heart in the first quarter getting her total over the double figure mark with her fourth basket of the period with 36 seconds remaining.

SECOND QUARTER NOTES

·       After a slow start to the second quarter, Nascimento was the first to strike with a second chance jumper just over two minutes into the action.

·       The Sacred Heart defense stepped up from the first possession of the quarter, holding Siena without a field goal in 15 attempts over the 10-minute period. The only four points in the quarter for Siena all came at the free throw line.

·       Following the first of those free throws for Siena, the Pioneers used the scoring drought to rattle off 14-0 run that led to a 33-25 lead before the final Siena points came with 90 seconds remaining.

·       Dudley began that run for Sacred Heart with back-to-back layups while Nascimento closed it out with the final seven points, including one basket from outside the arc.

·       Nascimento and Wood closed out the quarter with another set of back-to-back baskets to take a 10-point advantage into the locker room, while each closed out the opening 20 minutes with 15 points.

THIRD QUARTER NOTES

·       Sacred Heart kept that momentum coming out of the locker room, opening up the action with a three pointer from Sierra Johnson just 12 seconds into the quarter.

·       Defensively, the Saints were held to just five third quarter baskets and only managed to string together a pair which pulled the visitors deficit back within single digits.

·       The lead would grow right back into double figures and see its largest of the afternoon come with four minutes remaining in the quarter when Missy Nuku drove through the lane for a pair that provided a 52-35 cushion and forced a Siena timeout.

·       Siena would have the final word in the quarter with a pair of free throws that cut the deficit to 13 heading into the final frame.

FOURTH QUARTER NOTES

·       For the fourth time in as many attempts, the Pioneers struck first in the fourth quarter with Kirby scoring the first two baskets for SHU, the first on a lob feed from Nascimento.

·       Siena looked to make a run following Kirby's second basket, but only managed to string together six unanswered points, cutting the lead to 59-50 at the final media break.

·       Defensively, Sacred Heart limited Siena to just a single field goal over the final five minutes of the game while securing the victory at the free throw line, going 7-of-10 over the final two-and-a-half minutes.

UP NEXT
The first overnight trip of 2026 awaits the Pioneers with their next game coming on the road in Southern New Jersey at Rider on Saturday, January 17. The match-up against the Broncs marks the first MAAC team the Pioneers will face for a second time this season, one of eight total league teams SHU will play in a home-and-home series. Tip-off in the MAAC battle is set for 2:00 p.m. with all of the action available live on ESPN+.