Porcasi's Double-Double Helps Women’s Basketball Hold Off Purchase To Level Skyline Mark

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Sophomore Victoria Porcasi (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) recorded her third career double-double netting a team-high 20 points with 11 rebounds to lead the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's team to a 72-64 Skyline Conference victory over Purchase College on Saturday evening. Junior Destiny Marino added 16 points and senior Samantha Simon chipped in 11 points with five boards.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 72, Purchase 64
• Records:  St. Joseph's (3-5, 2-2), Purchase (2-7, 1-3)
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Arena: The Hill Center
• SJC Starters: Marino (G), Simon (G), Porcasi (G), Candelaria (F), Staab (C)

Turning Point

• St. Joseph's clung to a three-point lead with four minutes left in the third quarter before closing the period on a 10-1 run, capped by back-to-back Samantha Simon jumpers, to build a double-digit lead at the final break.

How it Happened

• A back-and-forth opening quarter saw Purchase use a 7-0 run to erase an early four-point Bears lead and the visitors held an 18-17 lead at the first quarter. 
• The Panthers increased their lead to nine, scoring the first eight points of the second quarter, but they only managed two more points over the final 7:51 as the Bears closed out the quarter on a 15-2 run to take a 32-28 lead into the lockers and never trailed again.
• A late surge in the third quarter sparked by a Victoria Porcasi triple and capped by a Samantha Simon triple put SJC on top 48-36 headed into the final frame.
• St. Joseph's increased their lead to as many as 13 on two occasions, before Purchase would attempt a late comeback pulling as close as three with a minute left, but the Bears held off the surging Panthers as Destiny Marino went 7-of-8 from the line in the final minute to seal the victory.

For the Bears

• Sophomore Victoria Porcasi scored a season-high 20 points and matched her career high of 11 rebounds to notch her first double-double of the season and third of her career. She also filled the stat sheet with five assists and one of the Bears two rejections.
• Playing just 24 minutes plagued by foul trouble, junior Destiny Marino added 16 points and two assists, shooting 9-of-12 from the charity stripe. All 12 of her free throws occurred in the fourth quarter to push her into double figure scoring for the seventh straight game played.
• Senior Samantha Simon scored a season-best 11 points and pulled down five boards and dished out four assists.
• Senior Kristin Candelaria grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds and added four points.

Inside the Box Score

• The Bears drained 10 three pointers on 23 attempts, connecting at a season-best 44 percent connect rate.
• St. Joseph's also took 30 trips to the charity stripe and made 20 free throws, both season highs.
• SJC dished out a season-best 17 assists, recording a helper on all but four made field goals.
• The Bears 13-point lead in the 4th quarter was their largest lead of the season.

The Bear Facts

• St. Joseph's has won the last four meetings against Purchase and improves to a commanding 13-2 lead in the all-time series.
• It is the first victory for the Bears at The Hill Center this season.
• With all the Saturday Skyline Conference action complete, the Bears move to .500 in league play at 2-2 and now sit in sixth place.

Next up for St. Joseph's

Riding their first home win, the Bears will take a break from Skyline Conference play hosting Hunter College in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday, December 12th tipping off at 5 p.m. Live stats and video with Greg Lanerd calling the action will be available on SJCBears.com.