Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
12-15,10-8MAAC
Quinnipiac
22-5,17-1MAAC
Fourth Quarter Run Falls Short as Pioneers Drop 55-39 Decision to Quinnipiac
2/21/2026 4:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Fairfield, Conn. – Junior Emma Kirby was the lone Pioneers to finish in double figures as the Sacred Heart women's basketball team dropped a 55-39 decision to the visiting Quinnipiac Bobcats in the final regular season home game. Prior to the game, the Pios honored the four members of the Class of 2026: Sierra Johnson, Grace John, Faith Pappas and Amelia Wood.
Kirby closed out the afternoon shooting 6-of-10 from the field while also leading the team with nine rebounds. Joining her in leading the scoring efforts was fellow classmate Nalyce Dudley who finished with nine points and Wood who contributed seven, including a half-court buzzer beater to cap off the first quarter action.
As a team, the Pioneers finished the game shooting 34.1 percent, connecting on 15-of-44 field goal attempts, with two of the 15 baskets coming from outside the three-point arc. Kirby's nine rebounds led the Pioneers as they combined for 35 total, just shy of Quinnipiac's 37. Wood followed Kirby with seven boards.
RECORDS
Sacred Heart: 12-15, 10-8 MAAC
Quinnipiac: 22-5, 17-1 MAAC
TOP PERFORMERS
Emma Kirby: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 6-10 field goals
Nalyce Dudley: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Amelia Wood: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, half court buzzer beater
FIRST QUARTER NOTES
· Quinnipiac opened the game with the first two baskets of the afternoon to open up an early lead.
· Dudley would answer thanks to a feed from Sophie Nascimento to cut that lead in half.
· The next three Pioneer buckets all came from Kirby, including a jumper at 3:38 that flipped the score for the first time in favor of the home team, 8-7.
· Quinnipiac responded to that lead change with three unanswered buckets to regain a five-point lead, 13-8.
· After securing a rebound with six seconds remaining, Wood worked her way forward where she heaved a 48-footer, just before the midcourt line, that saw nothing but net as the first quarter buzzer sounded, cutting that deficit to two going into the first intermission.
SECOND QUARTER NOTES
· Just like she closed out the first quarter, Wood fired another three point attempt to open up the second quarter scoring, providing another lead change in favor of the Pios, 14-13.
· Once again, Quinnipiac would answer that lead change with another rally, this time around an eight point splurge that concluded with the first three pointer of the game for the Bobcats.
· That three kicked off a flurry of outside shots for the Bobcats as their final four baskets of the opening half all came from beyond the arc as the visitors took a 30-17 lead into the locker room at the break.
THIRD QUARTER NOTES
· Just like wood did in the second quarter, Dudley opened up the third quarter scoring with a jumper, while Kriby added a layup just over 90 seconds later that put her into double figures for the game.
· A five-point burst for the Bobcats was cut off just after the media timeout when Missy Nuku pulled up for a jumper and her first points of the afternoon.
· After Quinnipiac answered that jumper, Johnson secured a rebound just inside the free throw line that she transitioned the full length of the court, driving through the middle of the lane for the layup, putting her into the scoring column with her first points.
· The Johnson layup was the first two points in a stretch of 7-4 for the Pios to close out the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES
· Holding the Bobcats to just one field goal, a three pointer, in the first six-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, the Pioneers were able to open up the frame scoring seven of the first 10 points to pull within nine, 46-37, forcing the Bobcats to call for time.
· After back-to-back media timeouts, the Bobcats ended what was a Pioneers 6-0 rally with another three pointer that sparked a 9-0 rally, reextending their lead into double figures.
· Nascimento would put an end to that rally with a pull up jumper that proved to be the final points of the afternoon.
UP NEXT
Two road games await the Pioneers in the week ahead as they begin with a trip to western Maryland for a rematch with the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers after needing overtime to decide the opening game in the home-and-home series at The Pitt. The last major road trip in the regular season is scheduled for Thursday, February 26 with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. All of the action in the MAAC battle will be available live on ESPN+.
