Women's Basketball Moves Into First Place With HVIAC Win over Berkeley, 59-44

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team played suffocating defense and forced turnovers as they topped Berkeley (N.Y.), 59-44, in a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) game Tuesday night at the Hill Center.

With the win, the Lady Bears (12-7, 3-0 HVIAC) have extended their season-best win streak to five games and now move into possession of first place in the conference.

Senior Taylor Raccuglia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) tallied a double-double, scoring a game-high 23 points along with 13 rebounds and five assists. This week's HVIAC Rookie of the Week Destiny Marino (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) scored 14 points and seven rebounds. She has now scored double figures in 16 straight contests.

Samantha Retas (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) added eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, while Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) also chipped in with eight points off the bench on four-for-five shooting.

Champagne Hazel led the Knights (11-7, 3-1 HVIAC) with 19 points, including four three-pointers, and added eight boards in a losing cause. Rodnesha Diamond added eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Janay Thomas netted 13 points and five rebounds.

The first half started slow for both teams, each trading the lead three times. Trailing 13-10 with 10:01 minutes remaining, the Lady Bears played tenacious defense and ended the half on a 16-2 run. St. Joseph's held the Knights to 18.8% (6 for 32) shooting in the half as they went into the half leading 26-15.

In the second half, Berkeley would around and cut the deficit to single digits a few times in the stanza but the Lady Bears were too tough on the defensive end to secure the victory. One of the best defensive teams in NCAA Division III, St. Joseph's forced the Knights to just 24.9% shooting on the game and forced 21 turnovers. They also showed a strong presence down low, finishing with 36 points in the paint, including 18 in the second half.

The Lady Bears will go on the road following the home stand to take on HVIAC rival Yeshiva at the Wellness Center at the College of New Rochelle on Thursday night. Tip time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com.