BOX SCORE   |  POSTGAME REMARKS

LORETTO, Pa. (Jan. 28, 2012) – Freshman Alexa Hayward (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) tossed in a career-high 23 points to lead the Saint Francis U. women's basketball team past LIU Brooklyn, 67-59, on Saturday at DeGol Arena.  The win gave the Red Flash its sixth consecutive win over the Blackbirds and snapped an uncharacteristic three-game home losing streak.

“I thought it was a very good overall team effort today,” said SFU head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl.  “I thought we were focused from the beginning of the game and we never let LIU go on a big run.  We really seemed to answer any time they got one or two baskets.”

Saint Francis (8-12; 5-4 Northeast) led for most of the evening, mounting double-digit leads in both halves.  The Flash took a 10-point advantage midway through the first period on one of five Hayward 3-pointers but the Blackbirds (15-6; 4-5 Northeast) battled back to cut the SFU edge to, 32-31, at the intermission.

The Saint Francis offense stayed hot in the second half, building a game-high 17-point lead by the 6:08 mark.  The Red Flash was able to hang on down the stretch to earn an eight-point win and a potential tiebreaker over LIU Brooklyn in the fast-approaching postseason.

“We getting close to February and in February every win is huge,” said Robinson Fruchtl.  “This was the first of four tiebreaker games four us and anytime you can get a win against one of the teams we only play once, it's big.”

Sophomores Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) and Rebecca Keegan (Jessup, Pa./Valley View) rounded out SFU's double-digit scorers with 16 and 10, respectively.  Keegan's point total and team-high six rebounds both matched career bests.

Senior Sarah Thorn (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury East), who got a starting nod at the point, pulled in six rebounds and dished out a career-high-tying eight assists.

She'tiarra Pledger tossed in 17 to pace the LIU Brooklyn offense.  Ashley Palmer was close behind with 16.

LIU Brooklyn held a slim 36-to-34 edge on the boards, although the Flash made the most of its 12 second-chance opportunities, converting them into 16 points.

The Red Flash welcomes St. Francis College on Monday for a 7 p.m. contest.  The Terriers posted a 70-62 victory over Robert Morris on Saturday.