Loretto, Pa. (March 6, 2010) – All-Northeast Conference First Team honoree Britney Hodges (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal) (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal) led the way as the No 5 seeded Saint Francis women's basketball team defeated the No. 4 seeded Monmouth Hawks 61-49 in the Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at DeGol Arena.
Saturday marked the first time in the 2009-10 season the Red Flash had earned a victory over the Hawks, falling in both regular season meetings by less than five points. SFU will take on in-state rival Robert Morris, the NEC's No. 1 seed, on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Hodges started the scoring off with a quick lay-up before Abby Martin put up two in the paint for the Hawks. Erin Rooney added two more to the Hawks tally before Allison Daly (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) scored and was fouled on a fast break. Daly sunk the ensuing free-throw to cut the deficit to just two with 16:13 left in the first.
Daly put up two more on a jumper to tie the game before Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) went to the free throw line and picked up a point to put SFU ahead again. Leach then put up a jumper off of an inbound play, and added in a free-throw after being fouled in the process. Daly sunk her first three-pointer of the night as the Red Flash went on a 12-0 scoring run to take a 14-7 lead with 14:34 remaining in the first half.
Adriana Allen went to the charity stripe for two to cut into the MU deficit before Alexis Canady got a turn, coming up with a point. Carly Thibault then sunk a three-pointer as the Hawks went on a 6-0 run of their own to come within one. Shene Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade Julienne) and came up empty, but Leach grabbed the rebound and sent it over to Hodges for a three-pointer.
Martin again added in two from the paint before Fleming battled back with two of her own from the paint. Allen put up two on a lay-up for the Hawks, cutting the deficit to two. Chanel Gomez put up another lay-up to tie the game at 19-19 with 6:44 remaining in the first half.
It was almost two minutes before the tie was broken, as Hodges put the Red Flash up on a jumper. Allison Smith (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) added in her first points of the night to give SFU a 23-19 lead. Nickia Gibbs (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) scored her first ever playoff point on a free-throw, but couldn't make the back end of the one-and-one. Gabby Singer sunk a three for the Hawks before Canady put up a jumper to tie the game 24-24 at the half.
Hodges put up the first two points of the second half on a fast break lay up to break the tie before Daly came up with a big steal and sent it over to Hodges for a three-pointer, keeping SFU ahead 29-24. The Hawks put their first points of the second half on the board just over four minutes into action on a lay up by Allen before Hodges added in two off of a jumper to keep the Red Flash lead at five.
Martin put up a rebounding field goal to bring Monmouth within three, but Hodges drove in for two. Hodges then came up with a steal on the Hawks next possession and sent it over to Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park who got the lay up. Thibault added in two as the Hawks stayed within five, but Hodges again countered to make it seven.
Smith put up a lay-up to stretch the lead to nine before Daly came up with a big block on Monmouth's next possession. Lilley was fouled making a lay-up, and completed the three-point play at the line to put the advantage in double figures.
Alysha Womack, the NEC's Rookie-of-the-Year, and Allen each added in two points as the Hawks cut into the deficit before Lilley went to the line for a point. Leach added in a rebounding field goal to bring the SFU lead to double-figures once again. However it was quickly cut but a three from Erin Rooney.
Leach put up two more on a lay-up, before Daly came up with another big block on Monmouth's next possession. However, the Hawks were able to tie up the Flash and got the ball back soon after. Martin went to the free-throw line, coming up with a point. Hodges then took the ball all the way, scoring on a lay up to put SFU up 49-38 with 5:55 remaining.
Womack put up a rebounding field goal, then added in two more two bring Monmouth within seven before Leach put up a lay up to keep SFU ahead by nine. Martin went in for another lay up in the paint before Daly nailed a three-pointer. Lilley then went in the paint for a lay up, trading points with Martin. Martin then went to the free-throw line, coming away with a point.
The fouls started coming with 1:10 left, as Hodges was the first to go to the line, making both. She was sent again seven seconds later, and remained perfect by going two-for-two again. Leach was the next to earn a trip, putting up a point before Canady put up a lay-up in the paint. However, her last ditch effort didn't help as the Red Flash took the 61-49 win and earned a trip to the NEC Semifinals.
Hodges had her 11th 20-point game of the season, leading all scorers with 24 points. Leach and Daly each put up 11, with Lilley adding in eight. It was also Lilley who led the rebounding effort, grabbing seven boards, though the Red Flash were out-rebounded 47-38. Leach added in six rebounds, as did Daly.
Hodges was also the team leader with four assists and five steals. She is just seven points shy of moving into fifth place on the school's all-time scoring list after becoming the ninth player in school history to put up 500 points in a season.
Martin paced the Hawks with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Allen added in eight points, with Womack and Rooney close behind with six. Rooney was the team leader in assists, dishing out four helpers.
The Red Flash shot 38.3 percent from the field, picking up 32 points in the paint. They finished the game with a season-low nine turnovers, and were able to pick up 22 points off of Monmouth's 19 miscues.
