LORETTO, Pa. (Jan. 28, 2010) – Allison Daly (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) had her first double-double of the season while Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) led the scoring with 19 points as the Saint Francis women's basketball team ended a two-game losing streak with a dominating 73-38 victory over Northeast Conference foe St. Francis NY on Thursday evening at DeGol Arena in Loretto.
SFU improved to 8-11 on the season and 5-4 in the NEC. The will host Long Island in a crucial match up on Saturday at 4 p.m.
With their first points of the evening scored by Allison Smith (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) at the free-throw line, the Red Flash got off to a quick 6-2 lead on a jumper by Daly. The Terriers kept it close with a three-pointer by Kayla Williams and a layup/free-throw combination from Stefanie Bingham to put the score at 13-10 with 10:52 remaining.
A layup by Shannon Gantt put SFNY within one, but Nickia Gibbs (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) kept SFU ahead. Britney Hodges (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal) (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal) hit three-pointer to increase the lead to six then hit a jumper soon after off of a pass from Leach. Leach put up two of her own as the Red Flash lead hit double-digits with 6:22 left in the first half. A 15-0 scoring run that had started with Gibbs left the Terriers scoreless for almost six minutes put Saint Francis PA up 30-15 with three and a half minutes to go in the first.
The points kept coming for the Flash, as Leach hit a three-pointer and a free throw before Daly made a layup to increase SFU's advantage to 22. Sarah Thorn (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury East) (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury East), in her first game back from injury, came away from the three-throw line with a point while Leach made a jumper to give Saint Francis a 41-19 lead with 1:30 left in the half.
However, the first half was not with out drama. For the first time ever, SFU's video replay system was put to use as the officials reviewed a last-second call that resulted in Quinessa Johnson (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) going to the free-throw line to shoot three.
The strong defensive effort by the Red Flash carried into the second half, as they held the Terriers to just three field goals and two free-throws in the first ten minutes of action. SFU's offense continued its hot streak, with a three from Hodges to start the half. SFC's Gantt struck back with a jumper, while Smith was sent to the free-throw line after being fouled by Kim Snauwaert and made both. Leach drove the basket for a layup after grabbing a big offensive rebound. Johnson also picked up an offensive board and followed through for two points before Smith was again sent to the line, this time shooting 50 percent.
Janie Killian (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) put up a layup off of a pass from Gibbs before another two points from Leach put the SFU lead at 28 points with 10:00 remaining in the half. SFC's Melissa Weithman fouled Hodges, while Autumn Lau received a technical to send the Red Flash to the line to shoot four. Leach, shooting for the technical, came away with one as did Hodges.
The Terriers' Bingham also earned a trip to the charity stripe, getting a point. Leach was then sent to the line again, off of a foul by Amber Lau and added two more points to the SFU tally.
Daly stole the ball from Amber Lau and drove to the hoop for a layup, and was sent to free-throw line for a point seconds later to put Saint Francis up by 34 points with seven and a half minutes to go.
Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) was the next of the SFU's eight players to attempt a shot at the free-throw line, making one. Gantt put up a jumper in the paint to cut the deficit to 33, and added in two more at the charity stripe to put the score at 63-32 with six minutes remaining. Gibbs, grabbing an offensive board, went up for a layup before Snauwaert made a three-pointer as SFU stayed ahead by 30. Gibbs then added in a jumper, with an assist by Lilley before going up for a layup off of another rebound.
Hannah Geedey (Lewistown, Pa./Lewistown) (Lewistown, Pa./Lewistown) sent a pass over to Lilley, who put up a jumper to give the Red Flash their final score of 73-38. The SFU defense prevented the Terriers from scoring a field goal in the last four and a half minutes of the game, though they did get a point from Gantt at the free-throw line.
Every player who hit the floor for the Red Flash appeared on the stat sheet in some way as the Saint Francis bested the Terriers in every category. Daly, who earned the team's second double-double of the season, led the rebounding effort with 10 boards. After a career day on Saturday, Smith kept improving and was second in boards with eight, while Johnson grabbed seven as the Flash out-rebounded the Terriers 41-34.
Leach, Daly (13) and Hodges (13) finished in double-figures, while Smith set another career high with eight points and six steals. Saint Francis outscored St. Francis NY in the paint 39-12, off of turnovers 31-10, on second change points 19-8 and on fast breaks 10-2. The Red Flash reserves outscored the Terriers' bench 23-11.
SFU forced 30 SFC turnovers, 15 of which were steals, while losing the ball just 16 times.
Gibbs ended the evening with eight points. Lilley had three of the team's 17 assists, while Geedey added in a helper as well. Daly had four swipes, while Thorn added in another two.
Saint Francis shot 42.9 percent overall (27-of -63), a marked improvement from Saturday's contest at FDU. After shooting just nine percent from beyond the arc against the Knights, they were 4-for-18 for 22 percent on Thursday.
