Seattle, Wash. – Saint Francis women's basketball (2-7) got out to a fast start, but was unable to hold off a strong Boise State squad as the Red Flash fell to the Broncos, 78-64, on Saturday in the Husky Classic at Alaska Airlines Arena. Jess Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) led SFU with a season-high 24 points, while Karson Swogger (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) added 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds.

First Quarter Recap

• Saint Francis had a strong start as Kovatch scored five of the Red Flash's first seven points as SFU trailed 9-7 in the opening minutes
• AJ Timbers' (Philadelphia, PA/Neumann Gorretti (Towson)) converted on a three-pointer to tie the game 13-13 with 3:25 to play
• Swogger scored the final points of the period on an old fashioned three-point play as the teams were tied 16-16 at the end of the first frame

Second Quarter Recap

• Kovatch knocked down back-to-back treys to put the Red Flash ahead 24-23 with just under eight minutes to play in the quarter
• Haley Thomas' (Hooversville, PA/Bishop McCort) layup tied the game 28-28 with 5:22 left in the period
• Boise State used an 11-2 run to jump ahead 39-30 with less than two minutes to go until halftime
• The Broncos held a 43-32 lead at the break

Third Quarter Recap

• Boise State picked up where it left off and had a 7-0 run to open the frame and seize a 50-32 lead
• Swogger converted on a four-point play to cut the Broncos' lead to 51-38 with 5:35 to play
• Back-to-back trifectas from Swogger and Kovatch pulled the Red Flash within 12 at 60-48 with just over two minutes left
• Sam Sabino (Rumson, N.J./Rumson Fair Haven (New Hampshire)) had a layup with 17 seconds remaining, but SFU trailed 66-50 at the end of the third frame

Fourth Quarter Recap

• Both teams struggled to score from the floor to open the fourth period as Boise State led 68-52 with under six minutes remaining
• Courtney Zezza's (Plum, PA/Plum) jumper in the paint narrowed the margin to 74-59 with just over two minutes to play
• Kovatch scored the final five points for the Red Flash, but Boise State had an answer for every SFU run as the Broncos secured the victory

Notes

• Saint Francis shot 24-of-55 from the floor, including 10-of-26 from behind the three-point arc and 6-of-9 from the free throw line
• The Red Flash won the battle on the boards with a 49-40 rebounding advantage over a lanky Boise State squad
• The Broncos scored 28 points off 30 Red Flash turnovers
• Boise State scored 30 points in the paint compared to SFU's 24 points on the inside
• Zezza had a season-high six blocks for the Red Flash
• Kovatch now has 2,325 career points and needs only 14 points to move into first place all-time at Saint Francis

Looking Ahead
Saint Francis will face Montana in the 3^rd Place game of the Husky Classic on Sunday. Tip time at Alaska Airlines Arena is set for 4 p.m. ET.