Women's Basketball | 11/3/2025 4:05:00 PM

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Duquesne defeated Saint Francis in the women's basketball opener for both teams on Monday.
>>  Aleah James (17 points), Sonia Sato (13 points), and Makyiah Ward (11 points) each had career-highs in their Red Flash debut.
>>  The game marked the head coaching debut for Chynna Bozeman.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
With the Red Flash holding a 5-4 margin, the Dukes went on a 14-3 run to take a 10-point lead at 18-8 with 1:54 left in the quarter. Saint Francis cut the margin to seven points, but could get no closer the rest of the way with the Dukes taking the game 89-60.

FLASH MOMENTS 
Saint Francis grabbed a 5-4 edge early in the game after Cassandra Hawthorne scored in the paint at 7:41 and Sato drained a 3-pointer with 5:44 left in the quarter for a one-point edge. The Loretto program had a 7-3 run in the final minute of the first quarter, fueled by five points by Zaiha Minnis.

James and Sato each had three points as part of a 6-2 run in the second quarter. 

Sato had a nice turnaround jumper, and James had a traditional 3-point play as part of five unanswered points in the third quarter.

It was 3:44 pm, but the bank was still open for Ward before James drained a triple of her own for the Red Flash to dial long distance on back-to-back offensive possessions midway through the fourth quarter. Ward hit another trey and a layup before James nailed a 3-ball in a 14-1 run for Saint Francis.

FLASH NUGGETS
James, who had a previously had a career-high 11 points at NC Central on January 11, 2025, with UMES, surpassed that total in the fourth quarter in her Saint Francis debut and finished with a team-high 17 points.

Sato, who matched her career-high of nine points in the first half, registered nine points twice in her career before her career-high 11-point performance in her first game with the Red Flash.

Ward made a 3-pointer with 9:01 left in the second quarter for her first collegiate points. She then sparkled in the fourth quarter with eight points and started her collegiate debut 4-for-4 and from long distance before missing her final shot of the day.

Hawthorne also had a career afternoon, finishing with new career highs in points (eight) and rebounds (nine). The graduate student registered six points three times in her career before joining the Red Flash, which was her previous standard.

Shelby Ricks also made her Saint Francis debut, finishing with six points and eight rebounds. Minnis (five points) and Sajol Thornhill also made their Saint Francis debuts in the games. 

It marked the second time Saint Francis tangled with the Dukes in a season opener and the third time in the last four years the Red Flash has opened a campaign against a Western Pennsylvania team. In addition, it marked the 23rd time the Loretto program opened the season against a Pennsylvania team.