Sacred Heart
12-16,10-9MAAC
Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
14-14,10-9MAAC
Pair of Double Doubles Leads the Way as Pios Fall on the Road
2/26/2026 10:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Emmitsburg, Md. – Senior Amelia Wood and junior Emma Kirby each completed a double double to lead the Sacred Heart women's basketball team as the Pioneers dropped a road decision at Mount St. Mary's 66-61.
Wood and Kirby were part of a trio of Pios in double figures with junior Nalyce Dudley lead all SHU players with 19 points as she closed out the game 6-of-13 with a pair of three pointers and went 5-of-8 at the line while dishing out six assists, tied with Missy Nuku for the team lead.
Kirby followed her classmate with 17 points, combining that with 10 rebounds for her third double double of the season. Kirby finished 8-of-11 from the field.
Wood rounded out the leading scorers with an even dozen in the scoring column, adding that to a team-high 11 rebounds for her sixth double double on the year, fifth in MAAC play. For the game, Wood finished 4-of-10 from the field with three of the four field goals from outside the arc. In addition to her double double, she dished out five assists and blocked four shots.
As a team, the Pioneers closed out the game shooting 43.4 percent from the field, connecting on 23-of-53 field goal attempts, with seven of those baskets from outside the three-point arc. The Pios were also 8-of-14 at the line, while the pair in double figures rebounding led SHU to a 35-31 advantage in the battle of the boards.
RECORDS
Sacred Heart: 12-16, 10-9 MAAC
Mount St Mary's: 14-4, 10-9 MAAC
TOP PERFORMERS
Nalyce Dudley: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
Emma Kirby: 17 points, 10 rebounds
Amelia Wood: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks
FIRST QUARTER NOTES
· The Pioneers got out to a sluggish start offensively but Dudley started out the Pioneers scoring with a bang when she grained a three pointer nearly four minutes into the action.
· That basket sparked a 9-3 rally that utilized less than two minutes with Dudley responsible for seven of the nine points.
· The end of that rally was a 6-0 streak going into the first media timeout, which the Pioneers extended to 10-0 with a jumper coming out of the timeout with a jumper from Kirby capping off the run with the first lead change of the night.
· Mount answered with a 7-0 run and closed out the opening quarter 9-1 over the final 2:06 to take a 21-14 lead into the first intermission.
SECOND QUARTER NOTES
· The Mountaineers kept that momentum and opened up the scoring in the second quarter, while Kirby followed that opening basket with that was followed 39 seconds later by a breakaway layup from Sierra Johnson.
· The two squads traded the next four hoops leading into the media timeout with Mount taking a five-point lead into the stoppage.
· Coming out of the timeout it was another Mountaineer rally, this time six unanswered which opened up a double digit lead, 33-22.
· The Pioneers would than close out the first half with back-to-back three pointers the first from Dudley and the second 33 seconds later from Wood with those two baskets coming in the final 36 seconds of the half.
THIRD QUARTER NOTES
· The break didn't stop the momentum as Wood came out of the intermission to open up the second half scoring with another three pointer, cutting the deficit to two points.
· Another stretch of trading hoops would follow with the second one in that stretch for the Pioneers a layup from Kirby that pushed her into double figures for the game.
· After one free throw each from Dudley and Sophie Nascimento, the Mountaineers used a 6-0 stretch to extend their lead back to nine.
· Wood broke up that momentum with a hoop-and-harm, completing the old-fashioned three point play with a layup and free throw to make it a four-point game.
· The senior's hot hand continued as she closed out the third quarter with another buzzer beater, her second in as many games, beating out the clock with a half-court heave to make it a 48-43 margin at the intermission.
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES
· Coming out of the final break, Dudley opened up the scoring with a layup on the opening possession, while the Mountaineers answered right back on their first possession.
· On the Pioneers next trip down the court, Nuku got in on the scoring action, drilling a three pointer on a second-chance opportunity thanks to Kriby who pulled down the offensive board.
· That three from Nuku was part of a 6-0 run for the Pioneers with Kirby knotting the game at 50 on a free throw line jumper and taking a one-point lead as she hit the second of a pair at the line.
· With the score tied at 52, the Mountaineers hit a three pointer to retake the lead only to have Nuku match the bucket 23 second later for her second three-pointer of the night.
· The Mountaineers would get the answer on the other end and add two at the line to take a 60-55.
· Johnson answered that with a drive to the hoop for two which Kirby followed with a putback layup to make it a one-point game with 2:33 to play.
· Defensively, the Pioneers would hold The Mount without a field goal over the final 4:30 of the game with their final eight points coming at the line.
· Another Kirby putback with 1:42 remaining again cut the score to one, 62-61.
· After getting a stop defensively, the Mountaineers converted two at the line with 8.8 seconds remaining.
· Sacred Heart would call for time to advance the ball with the drive to the hoop off the mark and the Mountaineers securing the rebound.
UP NEXT
The regular season finale awaits the Pioneers and what better way to close out the regular season than a date with crosstown rival Fairfield. One of two teams tied atop the MAAC standings, the Stags look to secure a regular season championship in their final home game of the season. The crosstown battle is set for Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. with all of the action from Mahoney Arena scheduled to air live on ESPN+.
