Sacred Heart
11-13,9-6MAAC
Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
12-12,8-7MAAC
Pappas Drains Career-high 12 as Pioneers Drop OT Decision to Mount
2/7/2026 4:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Fairfield, Conn. – A close game throughout, with neither team leading by more than eight, the Sacred Heart women's basketball team dropped a 68-63 decision to Mount St. Mary's in a game that needed an extra period to determine a victor.
Leading the way for the Pioneers was senior Amelia Wood who returned to double figures in the scoring column wit a team-high 15 points, finishing 5-of-16 from the field, including four three pointers. She added to that seven rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
The career-high assists for Wood wasn't the only mark to fall on the day as senior Faith Pappas came off the bench to go 4-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc to drop a career-high 12 points. Her 12 points came in a total of nine-and-half minutes as she came off the bench to spark the Pioneers offense.
Rounding out the leading scorers was Emma Kirby who also finished with a dozen, while Nalyce Dudley followed with seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds. As a team, Sacred Heart finished the day shooting 35.1 percent from the field, connecting on 20-of-57 field goal attempts. Half of the 20 field goals came from outside the three-point arc, the only time this season and the first time since February 3, 2024 with double figure three's.
RECORDS
Sacred Heart: 11-13, 9-6 MAAC
Mount: 12-12, 8-7 MAAC
TOP PERFORMERS
Amelia Wood: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks
Emma Kirby: 12 points, 5 rebounds
Faith Pappas: 12 points, 4-5 field goals
Nalyce Dudley: 7 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
FIRST QUARTER NOTES
· Wood got the scoring started on the afternoon with the first of two first quarter three's for the senior guard in the first five minutes of the game.
· A jumper from Kirby nearly three minutes later was sandwiched by a pair of back-to-back layups for the Mountaineers on either side that led to a 9-5 lead.
· Wood's second three followed as she cut it to a single point lead for The Mount.
· After surrendering the next four points, Sacred Heart went on an 8-0 rally with three layups from Kirby and another from Sierra Johnson who beat the shot clock with a streak through the lane.
· Defensively, the Pioneers held Mount St. Mary's to just four points, all free throws, over the final five minutes of the quarter, with SHU taking a 16-15 lead into the first intermission.
SECOND QUARTER NOTES
· After seeing the lead change three times in the first three minutes of the quarter, the first three of the day from Pappas gave Sacred Heart a 21-19 lead with 6:13 remaining in the half.
· The Mount knotted the score at 21 before Pappas struck again, followed by a pair of free throws from Dudley.
· After back-to-back layups from the Mountaineers, Pappas hit again and matched that nearly a minute later to extend the Pioneers lead to 32-26 with 2:22 remaining in the half.
· Dudley followed that fourth Pappas three with the final basket of the quarter with just 15 seconds remaining as Sacred Heart took an eight-point lead into the halftime break.
THIRD QUARTER NOTES
· The Mount again surged to start the third quarter, scoring the first two baskets before Wood opened up the SHU scoring the same way she opened up the game with a three pointer to extend the lead back to seven, 37-30.
· Sacred Heart never relinquished its lead in the quarter, extending it back to seven with two-straight hoops, the first layup from Wood that pushed her into double figures and the second a jumper from Dudley.
· Kirby was the next player to hit the double figure mark as she connected on a layup with 41 seconds remaining, while The Mount closed out the quarter with the final points to cut its deficit to 44-39 at the final break.
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES
· The first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter saw each team matching the other point for point. Missy Nuku was the first to strike for the Pioneers as she pulled up in the paint to beat the shot clock and match a pair of free throws from Mount.
· Kirby followed by matching a Mountaineers jumper with a pair of free throws, maintaining the five point lead for her team.
· Mount St. Mary's responded with back-to-back jumpers to cut the deficit to a single point before Wood struck once again from long range to make it a four point game, 51-47.
· Three minutes later, the Mountaineers again put up four unanswered points, this time allowing them to flip the score in their favor for the first time in the second half.
· Just 30 seconds after that lead change Nascimento again beat the shot clock for the Pioneers as she drained a corner three for her first points of the day.
· She again put up three points, this time on two different trips to the free throw line to make it a three-point game, 58-55 in favor of the Pioneers.
· Mount answered with a layup with 14.1 seconds remaining while Wood went 1-of-2 at the line to make it a 59-57 lead.
· Mount knotted the game at 59 with another drive to the hoop with 6.5 seconds on the clock while the Pioneers came up empty on their final possession after advancing the ball to the front court.
OVERTIME NOTES
· After both teams came up empty on their first possessions in OT, the Mountaineers began a seven-point rally.
· It took more than three minutes of the extra frame before Dudley was able to net the first Pioneer points with a single free throw.
· With the game seemingly out of reach, the Pioneers looked to rally late when Missy Nuku drained a straight-away three to cut the deficit to 66-63.
· Mount responded with a pair of free throws and stingy defense to secure the victory.
UP NEXT
After enjoying a mid-week bye, the Pioneers will head back on the road for a day trip as they take on the Saint Peter's Peacocks on Saturday, February 14. The Valentine's Day meeting will be the only between the two squads, with Saint Peter's currently sitting at 5-8 in MAAC play. Tip-off in the holiday MAAC battle is set for 2:00 p.m. with all of the action available live on ESPN+.
