Loretto, Pa. – Saint Francis women's basketball (7-12, 4-3 NEC) used a well-balanced team effort as the Red Flash picked up an 85-68 win over Sacred Heart (10-8, 6-1 NEC) on Saturday at DeGol Arena. Jess Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) led four SFU players in double figures with 23 points, while Haley Thomas (Hooversville, PA/Bishop McCort) recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Courtney Zezza (Plum, PA/Plum) added 17 points and Sam Sabino (Rumson, N.J./Rumson Fair Haven (New Hampshire)) scored a career-high 14 points.
 
Robinson Fruchtl's Reaction
"We have been working hard to get better every week," Interim Head Coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl said. "I think we saw a lot of the results of those efforts. We executed offensively really well tonight. Whether it's our motion offense or our quick hitters, we have been working hard. Credit goes to the team for really applying that in the game tonight."
 
First Quarter Recap

• A Zezza layup put Saint Francis ahead 11-7 with 6:10 to play in the opening period
• SFU gained an 18-16 lead following Thomas' three-pointer with 2:26 left
• Phee Allen's (Newport News, VA/Woodside) trey with 12 seconds to go gave the Red Flash a 24-20 lead at the end of the first frame

Second Quarter Recap

• Sabino connected on a trifecta as Saint Francis led 30-22 just underway in the second period
• Sacred Heart responded with a 10-2 run to square the score at 32-32 with 6:40 to play
• A Kovatch jumper sparked an 8-1 Red Flash run as SFU led 40-33 with just under three minutes left
• Sabino's triple with 39 seconds to go put Saint Francis ahead 43-38 at halftime

Third Quarter Recap

• The Red Flash picked up where it left off in the third period as a Thomas layup increased SFU's lead to 49-43 with just under seven minutes remaining
• Sabino's layup put Saint Francis in front 56-50 with 2:47 to play
• Zezza hit a hot streak in the final minute as three-straight treys including a buzzer-beating triple gave the Red Flash a 66-58 lead at the end of the third frame

Fourth Quarter Recap

• The momentum from the end of the third period carried over to the fourth as Zezza connected on her fourth consecutive three-pointer to give SFU a 73-64 advantage with 7:42 remaining in the contest
• The lead for the Red Flash continued to grow as Saint Francis stormed ahead 82-67 following a Thomas old-fashioned three-point play with 2:16 to go
• Kovatch's trifecta with 16 seconds to go put a bow on it as SFU secured the victory

Notes

• Saint Francis snapped its three-game skid with the win
• Four Red Flash players scored in double figures for the first time since Saint Francis' 86-74 win over Seton Hill on Nov. 20
• Thomas' double-double was her second this season after previously recording one in SFU's 89-83 win over Morehead State on Dec. 19
• The Red Flash shot a stellar 27-of-56 from the floor, including 12-of-31 from three-point range and 19-of-21 from the free throw line
• Saint Francis dominated the battle on the boards with a 45-23 rebounding advantage

Up Next
SFU returns to the court to host Wagner on Monday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.