League Unbeaten Sage Pulls Away From Women's Basketball

ALBANY, N.Y. — Despite forcing 30 turnovers against first place Sage Colleges, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team struggled from the field on Wednesday night and fell 71-53 in their quest to the Gators their first league loss, improving to a perfect 13-0 in the Skyline Conference.

The Basics

• Final Score: Sage 71, St. Joseph's 53
• Records: Sage (17-3, 13-0 Skyline), St. Joseph's (6-16, 5-8 Skyline)
• Date: February 3, 2016
• Location: Albany, N.Y.
• Arena: Kahl Gym
• Starters:
  • St. Joseph's: Eddy (G), Marino (G), Simon (G), Porcasi (G), Candelaria (F)
  • Sage: Pearson (G), Holmes (G), Parlsow (G), Bowman (F), Schoff (F)

Turning Point

• After a Kristin Ferrigno trifecta cut the Lady Bears deficit to three midway through the second, Sage closed the period on a 12-4 run to take a double-digit lead into the lockers, falling to single digits briefly the remainder of the game.

How it Happened

• Trailing 18-8 late in the first quarter, the Lady Bears used a quick 6-0 spurt to cut into the gap.
• But the Gators came right back with six unanswered in the final 43 seconds of the period, moving back up 24-14.
• Victoria Porcasi's layup and Erica Eddy's triple cut the deficit in half early into the second.
• Kristin Ferrigno's three-pointer made it a one-possession game, 28-25, with 4:04 left to play in the quarter.
• Sage closed the half with an 12-4 run, fending off the Lady Bear-charge and reclaiming their double-digit advantage at 40-29.
• Down 51-33 with 6:10 remaining in the third stanza, St. Joseph's tallied nine unanswered in a three-minute span to draw closer.
• The Gators closed the quarter with a 8-0 run to head into the fourth with a 62-44 cushion.
• The sides combined for just 18 points in the final stanza. Sage's lead ballooned to as many as 22 as the Lady Bears failed to mount a comeback.

For the Lady Bears

• Sophomore Destiny Marino led the Lady Bears with a 16-point effort helped by an 8-of-10 performance from the free-throw line.
• Junior Kristen Candelaria flirted with a double-double netting nine and bringing down a game-best 13 caroms along with two blocks.
• Freshman Victoria Porcasi also chipped in nine points, with four rebounds.
• Senior Erica Eddy scored eight points, secured six boards, and led her team with five steals.

For the Gators

• Frankie Pearson led all scorers with 21 on 4-of-8 shooting from deep. The guard corralled six rebounds and finished with a game-best six thefts.
• Macie Holmes produced a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
• Schoff Genevieve shot 7-of-11 from the field en route to 16 points. The forward added six boards, three assists and a steal.

Inside the Box Score

• The Lady Bears struggled from the field, shooting 31.7 percent (20-63) for the game and managed just three three-pointers, averaging over eight a game entering the contest.
• With an efficient 46.6-percent (27-58) performance from the field, the Gators also controlled the rebound battle 44-33.
• A sloppy game saw 54 total turnovers, 30 by Sage and 24 from St. Joseph's.

The Bear Facts

• Dropping two straight, St. Joseph's falls to 5-8 in conference-play and remain sixth in the standings heading into the homestretch. But the Lady Bears maintain a half-game lead over SJC Long Island in the race for the final playoff spot.
• First-place Sage remains perfect and improves to 13-0 in the Skyline Conference. The Gators also remain unbeaten at 4-0 all-time series against St. Joseph's, sweeping the home-and-away season series following a 68-60 triumph at The Hill Center on January 20.

Next up for the Lady Bears

Looking to protect their playoff spot with just three games remaining, the Lady Bears travel to meet former Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic conference rival Yeshiva University on Saturday, February 6 in a Skyline matchup at Baruch College starting at 8:30 p.m.