HAMDEN, Conn. (Jan. 10, 2008) – Sophomore guard Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) set a new career high with 26 points and the Saint Francis women's basketball team finished the night shooting 39.3 percent from the field, but still fell to the Quinnipiac Bobcats 77-66 on Saturday afternoon at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.
The Red Flash fall to 3-11 overall and 2-2 in the Northeast Conference. The team will remain in Connecticut to take on Sacred Heart in another NEC match up on Monday at 7 p.m. in Fairfield.
Janie Killian (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) started the scoring off for the Red Flash with a jumper just 10 seconds into the game. The two teams traded buckets for the first five minutes, keeping the score a close 10-8 with 14:55 remaining in the first half.
The Flash took their second lead of the game on a lay up by Allison Daly (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity), putting the score a 12-14 with 11:45 left to play in the half. The Bobcats bounced back, going on a 10-0 run to take a 22-14 lead until Daly sunk 2 free-throw shots to put the Flash back into the game with 7:54 remaining.
Again, the teams traded baskets for most of the half, tying the game at 29-29 with a little more than two minutes remaining. Quinnipiac was then able to take a quick 5 point lead with a jumper by Jacki Mann and a three-pointer by Brianna Rooney. The Bobcats entered the locker room at half time with a 34-29 lead.
The second half did not bode well for Saint Francis, as the Bobcats continued their scoring streak by starting the half with an 11-0 scoring run. Kelsey Caruthers (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) broke the Bobcats streak with a lay up good for 2 points with 16:27 left to play.
After a quick lay up by Leach, Caruthers was sent to the line and came away with 2 points to shrink what had been a 14 point deficit down to 10.
The Bobcats battled back, and their lead soon grew to 18 after Jacinda Dunbar and Rooney were both sent to the line and each player came away with 2.
The Red Flash, however were not about to give up. Freshmen Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) and Quinessa Johnson (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) made their presence known with each sinking a three-pointer shot to cut the Bobcat's lead down to 10 with 9:50 remaining.
Both teams had trouble with fouls in the remainder of the game, with Whitney Robinson (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont) (Fairmont, W. Va./Fairmont), Leach and Lilley heading to the line for the Flash and Mann, Sarah McGowan and Erin Kerner making trips for Quinnipiac.
Down by 9 with 3:12 to go in the game, Leach was able to make a lay up and a jumper, but a three-point shot by Kerner nearly offset her efforts and the Flash remained down by 8 with a little under a minute to play.
Saint Francis then sent Kerner for two points, only to turn around and send Pratt to the line where she would come away 2-for-4, killing any chances of a comeback for the Red Flash.
The Flash finished 22-of-56 for 39.3 percent from the field, while the Bobcats came away from the afternoon 24-of-64 for 37.5 percent. SFU shot 70.4 percent from the line, and 20 percent from beyond the arc.
Kerner led all players in scoring with 32 points and 3 steals. Teammate Mandy Pennewell as the only other Bobcat in double-digits as she finished with 11 points.
Leach's new career high of 26 points led the way for the Flash. Her previous career high of 23 had been set versus Central Connecticut on Jan. 14, 2008. She also led the team in rebounds with 7.
Lilley was behind Leach with 12 points after going 7-of-11 from the free-throw line. Britney Hodges (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal) (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal) had 6 assists on the afternoon, and Johnson came away with 3 steals.
Turnovers, a problem for the Flash all season, were again an issue as they lost possession 26 times. The Bobcats limited themselves to 15 turnovers in the game.
