FLASH POINTS

• The Red Flash were held to just 33 percent shooting
• SFU hit on just 5 of 28 threes
• The Pioneers shot 45 percent and put three players in double figures led by Erin Storck's 14

LORETTO, PA- Saint Francis erased a 12-point halftime deficit but shots by Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio/Bridgeport) and Leah Morrow (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) fell short on the final possession as Sacred Heart earned a 69-68 win over Saint Francis in the annual THINK PINK! game for the Red Flash.

Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) went for a game high 25 points but was the only player in double figures for Saint Francis, who was held to just 33 percent shooting on the night and 5-28 (17 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, Sacred Heart forced 17 turnovers, turning them into 26 points as the Pioneers shot 46 percent and put three players in double figures in the victory. 


HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST QUARTER RECAP

• Sacred Heart jumped out of the gate, scoring the game's first six points, all by Erin Storck
• SFU cut the lead to one on a Zezza three only to see Sacred Heart pull back ahead by 4 on the next possession
• A lay-in by Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)) and a pair of Kyasia Duling (Zanesville, Ohio/New Albany (Duquesne)) free throws gave SFU its first lead at 11-9
• Duling hit another jumper to build the lead to four but the Pioneers answered with six straight points
• The Pioneers closed on that 6-0 run and led 17-15 after the first quarter

SECOND QUARTER RECAP

• The Pioneers maintained a five-point advantage for the early stages of the quarter, trading baskets with SFU
• Sacred Heart hit the afterburners out of the media timeout, going on an 8-0 run to build an 11-point lead
• The Red Flash missed six straight shots and were held scoreless for over three minutes
• A Kroll lay-up late broke the drought and Maya Wynn (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh) beat the buzzer with a basket but SHU led by 12 at the half
• The Pioneers took a 43-31 lead into the locker room

 
THIRD QUARTER RECAP

• SFU turned up the defense to start the third collecting a pair of baskets off SHU turnovers and forcing a Pioneer timeout
• The Pioneers rebuilt a nine-point lead before the Red Flash began chipping away at the deficit
• The Red Flash forced a pair of turnovers and a lay-up by Harrison precluded a Kovatch three that tied the game at 48, capping a 9-0 run
• Saint Francis briefly took the lead but a Candace Leatherwood three gave Sacred Heart back the advantage late in the third
• A late Kroll bucket cut the SHU lead to one
• SFU outscored Sacred Heart 21-10 in the quarter and trailed 53-52 heading into the fourth

FOURTH QUARTER RECAP

• The Teams traded baskets and the lead for the first few minutes of the quarter before three Kovatch free throws put SFU up 60-58
• The Pioneers answered back scoring eight of the next 10 points to build a 66-62 lead
• A Leah Morrow (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) lay-up with 1:51 left cut the Sacred Heart lead to one at 67-66, but it would be the final field goal for SFU on the night
• A pair of Kovatch free throws answered a Sacred Heart lay-up with under a minute to go
• After a Kroll foul, the Red Flash forced a turnover with 10 seconds left to set up a final play
• A driving Kroll lay-up landed short and a put-back attempt by Morrow fell short as well as Sacred Heart secured the win

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sacred Heart turned the ball over 21 times but SFU managed just 11 points, compared to the Pioneers turning 17 miscues into 26 points.
• The Pioneers were 11-22 from three-point range while Saint Francis was just 5-28
• Erin Storck led three Pioneers in double figures with 14 while Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) had a game-high 25, she was the only Red Flash player in double figures
• Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)) had a game-high nine rebounds as won the rebounding battle 42-37

 
The loss snaps the Red Flash seven-game win streak as they fall to 16-9 overall and 11-2 in the NEC. Sacred Heart improves to 10-15 and 6-8 in NEC. Saint Francis will look to bounce back against Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night. Tip time is set for 6 p.m.