Eddy's Career Best Not Enough as Women's Basketball Unable to Catch First-Place Gators

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Despite a late fourth quarter charge and a career-high 20 points from senior Erica Eddy (Glendale, N.Y./Christ the King), the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team was unable to hand first-place Sage their first Skyline Conference loss on Wednesday night at The Hill Center.

The Basics

• Final Score: Sage 68, St. Joseph's 60
• Records: Sage (14-2, 10-0 Skyline), St. Joseph's (5-13, 4-5 Skyline)
• Date: January 20, 2016
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Arena: The Hill Center
• Starters:
  • St. Joseph's: Eddy (G), Marino (G), Simon (G), Porcasi (G), Candelaria (F)
  • Sage: Parslow (G), Pearson (G), Knockwood (G), Bowman (F), Schoff (C)

Turning Point

• Trailing by 14 midway through the third, St. Joseph's came alive with a 9-0 spurt in just 1:36 to move within striking distance. But Sage outscored the Lady Bears 11-5 to close the quarter to regain their double-digit cushion, eventually holding off a late charge in the fourth to secure victory.

How it Happened

• The Lady Bears moved ahead 8-5 with less than three minutes remaining in the first, but the visitors closed the period with a 12-4 push to finish the stanza leading 17-12.
• Brittany Cervino's triple at the 6:16 mark of the second brought the Lady Bears within one point, but the Gators protected their lead and finished strong to enter the break up 34-28.
• Midway through the third quarter, Sage's advantage had ballooned to 14, 45-31, before St. Joseph's bombarded their opponent with a lightning fast 9-0 burst, cutting the deficit to 45-40 in a span of just 1:36.
• The Gators held off the charging Lady Bears once more, outscoring St. Joseph's 11-5 the remainder of the period to build a comfortable 56-45 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes.
• Chipping away, the Lady Bears drew within five points, 64-59, with just 52 ticks remaining following a pair of Cervino free throws. But Sage scored five of the next six points to hold off a comeback.

For the Lady Bears

• Erica Eddy led the Lady Bears with a career-best 20-point performance. The senior rained down a career-high five three-pointers on six attempts, adding six boards and a game-best four assists.
• Sophomore Destiny Marino flirted with a double-double, scoring 14 and bringing down nine rebounds.
• Victoria Porcasi netted 13, sinking 7-of-10 at the line. The freshman added seven boards and three helpers.

For the Gators

• Emily Parslow led Sage with 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting, adding three assists and a game-best five steals.
• Krystyn Knockwood flirted with a triple-double, securing 16 boards, scoring 14 points and rejecting eight shots for the double-double.
• Macie Holmes chipped in 10 off the bench to round out three in double figures for the Gators.

Inside the Box Score

• Both sides struggled from the field, with St. Joseph's connecting on just 31.7 percent (19-60) of shot attempts against Sage's 36.2 percent (25-69).
• Sage stayed busy under the glass, amassing a significant 38-16 points-in-the-paint advantage.
• Committing 10 fewer turnovers, the Gators converted this into a 19-11 points-off-turnovers advantage.

The Bear Facts

• St. Joseph's fall under .500 in Skyline play at 4-5, while the first-place Gators remain undefeated 10-0 in league contests. The Lady Bears still remain in a tie for fifth place with Mount Saint Mary.
• Sage also remains unbeaten in the short all-time series, improving to 3-0, in the first meeting since 2000.
• Seeking revenge, the Lady Bears will travel to Albany, N.Y. on February 3rd looking to even the season series.

Next up for the Lady Bears

Continuing a stretch of eight consecutive Skyline Conference games to close the regular season, St. Joseph's welcomes Mount Saint Vincent to the Hill Center on Saturday, January 23rd. The women cap off the doubleheader with the men at 4:00 p.m., with live stats and video available on SJCBears.com.