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LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball returns home for a matchup against Sacred Heart on Monday, Jan. 16 for a 6 p.m. tip-off on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The game will stream on ESPN+ and mark one of the two Saint Francis conference games to stream on ESPN platforms.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
Saint Francis converted 11 three-point field goals against LIU, which marked the most in a single-game since Jan. 11, 2020 – an 84-game span. Maria McConnell led the way with 12 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point territory. Layla Laws also had 12 points and raised her scoring total to nine points per game in the first four conference games and she averages 7.8 per game overall. Filippa Goula ranks third on the team with 7.3 points per game and has the most double-digit scoring games this season with 10. She has a 93.9 free throw percentage that ranks top-10 in the NCAA Division I. Aaliyah Moore had her second-lowest rebound total of the season with five against LIU, but still paces the NEC with 9.8 rebounds per game this season. She also leads Saint Francis with eight points per game this season and averages 6.5 per game through the first four conference games.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis earned its second conference victory with a 62-51 defeat of LIU. The Sharks jumped out to an early 8-3 lead four minutes into the game and held the lead until Saint Francis tied the game at 11 with 1:26 remaining in the first quarter. After Saint Francis led 12-11 after the first quarter, both teams were within four points of each other before LIU took a 30-28 lead into halftime. The second quarter featured five ties and three lead changes. Saint Francis led by one point, 34-33, midway through the third quarter before the Red Flash produced a 14-4 run in the final half of the quarter and took a 47-37 lead. During the run, Saint Francis converted three three-point shots, which included back-to-back makes by McConnell. In the fourth quarter, Saint Francis opened an 18-point, 55-37 lead, with seven minutes remaining before an 11-0 LIU run cut the deficit to seven points with 3:23 remaining. Saint Francis held off the LIU surge and led by at least eight points throughout the remainder of the game before its 62-51 victory.
 
Scouting Sacred Heart
The Pioneers enter Monday's game as one of the three remaining undefeated NEC teams at 3-0 and have a 6-9 overall record. Sacred Heart most recently defeated St. Francis Brooklyn, who was also 2-0, 76-60. Freshman Ny'Ceara Pryor leads the NEC with 17 points per game, 45.1-percent shooting from the field and 4.3 steals per game. Her steals per game rank second in the NCAA. She also ranks second in the conference with 3.6 assists per game and fourth with 6.7 rebounds per game. Pryor is a six-time NEC Rookie of the Week selection. Sajada Bonner ranks top-10 in the conference with 10.5 points per game and Amelia Wood is third on the team with 7.1 points per game. As a team, Sacred Heart is top-three in the NEC in scoring offense with 59.5 points per game and scoring defense with 59 points per game against.
 
All-Time vs. Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart owns a 26-21 overall advantage over Saint Francis, but Saint Francis owns a 14-10 advantage at DeGol Area. Last season, the Red Flash won both games over the Pioneers, which included a 69-66 overtime victory at Sacred Heart. In the win, Sam Miller scored a then-career-high 15 points to lead Saint Francis returners in either matchup. Olivia Tucker led Sacred Heart returners with 18 points in the loss.
 
Around the NEC
Fairleigh Dickinson defeated Central Connecticut 59-53 and Sacred Heart defeated St. Francis Brooklyn 76-60 to remain undefeated. Both Sacred Heart and St. Francis Brooklyn went into their matchup at 2-0. Saint Francis pulled back to .500 with a 62-51 win over LIU and Merrimack earned its first conference win 80-72 over Stonehill. On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Fairleigh Dickinson will host Stonehill, St. Francis Brooklyn will host LIU, Merrimack will host Wagner and Saint Francis will host Sacred Heart.
 
Next
Saint Francis heads back on the road to New York City where they will face St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, Jan. 21 for a 5 p.m. tip-off.