BOX SCORE

HAMDEN, Conn. (Feb. 27, 2012) – Saint Francis U. sophomore Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) registered a triple-double and junior Rhonda Watts (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson) tallied a game- and career-high 21 points to lead the Red Flash to a, 77-71, win over Quinnipiac at the TD Bank Sports Center on Saturday.

The regular season-ending win over the second-place Bobcats (21-8; 13-5 NEC) gave the Flash some considerable momentum heading into the Northeast Conference postseason which begins on Saturday.  Saint Francis (14-15; 11-7 NEC) will travel to Moon Township as the tournament's fifth seed to take on fourth-seeded Robert Morris.

“We just did a good job tonight,” said Saint Francis head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl.  “We know we can play this way when we're focused and we really work.  We're looking forward to the tournament.  There's a long way to go but we're excited.”

Williams tallied 18 points and 15 rebounds in the 37-minute effort for her 12th double-double of the season, but added in 12 steals to set a new school single-game record.

Freshman Hailey Carangelo (Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) chipped in 10 points to round out the Red Flash double-digit scorers.  Three more SFU players scored seven points or more.

Couple that with a defensive effort that not only shutout NEC Player of the Year candidate Felicia Barron in the first half, but racked up 30 turnovers which the offense cashed in for 36 points.  Barron ended up with 13 points on the night, but relied on its bench to the tune of 32 points.

The Bobcats' Jasmine Martin led her team with 15 points.

“That's what happens when you play great defense,” said Robinson Fruchtl.  “I thought everyone came in tonight and contributed and that's the way this team is going to be successful.  We executed our game plan well.”

Both teams started cold, offensively, but began to heat up midway through the opening half.  Quinnipiac was able to establish its largest lead of the period, 25-17, at the 4:02 mark thanks to an 11-to-5 run.  But 3-pointers by Alexa Hayward (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) and Carangelo served as bookends to a surge that gave the Flash a two-point edge three minutes later.

The teams went into the locker room with the score tied, 31-31.

The Bobcats gained a clear upper hand in the first nine minutes of the second half, jumping out to a game-high nine-point edge.  The Red Flash needed all of nine minutes to turn the tables on Quinnipiac.  SFU went up by 10 points with 2:38 to play, thanks to solid defense and a timely 17 second half points from Watts.

Williams tossed in 10 points and grabbed nine of her record steals total in the decisive period.