Women’s Basketball Downs SJC Long Island to Finish With .500 League Mark; Heads to Farmingdale for Skyline First Round

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — Junior Victoria Porcasi (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) poured in a game-high 28 points leading four Bears in double figures in a 76-63 Skyline Conference victory over sibling rivals SJC Long Island on Saturday afternoon.

With season sweep, SJC Brooklyn finishes the regular season at 11-14 overall and 9-9 in league play. The Bears will enter their second Skyline Conference Championship in three years as the No. 6 seed and will face No. 3 Farmingdale State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. 

The Basics

• Final Score: SJC Brooklyn 76, SJC Long Island 63
• Records: SJC Brooklyn  (11-14, 9-9), SJC Long Island (9-16, 6-12)
• Location: Patchogue, N.Y. — Danzi Center
• SJC Brooklyn Starters: Porcasi (G) O'Donnell (G) O'Neill (G) Raccuglia (F) Staab (C)

Turning Point

• With the Golden Eagles trimming a double-digit Bears lead to six, 67-61, with less than four minutes in regulation, Brooklyn scored nine straight to balloon the lead back to 15 with one minute left.

How It Happened

• The hosts scored four straight to take a 4-1 lead early on, but the Bears responded with an 8-0 run capped by back-to-back Porcasi baskets and never trailed again.
• Long Island tied the game twice early in the second stanza before Brooklyn pulled ahead by as many as seven, 33-26 (1:34), but the Golden Eagles closed the half on a 7-2 spurt to bring the game to two, 35-33, headed into intermission. Victoria Porcasi led the Bears with 15 points before the break.
• The Bears opened the third outscoring the Golden Eagles 12-2—Kelly O'Donnell providing six points—over the first five minutes to build their largest lead of the game, 45-37 (4:25).
• Long Island shrank the Bears lead down to seven, 63-56 (6:56) midway through the fourth. After Brooklyn pushed the lead back to double digits, the Golden Eagles scored five straight to pull within six, but couldn't get any closer as back-to-back layups from Caitlyn Staab and a Porcasi and-one sparked a 9-0 run that put the game away.

For the Bears 

• Victoria Porcasi (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) shot 11-of-23 from the field and 6-of-8 from the line to finish with her 11th 20-plus point game of the season.
• Freshman Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) finished her 23rd straight game in double figures with 12 points (6-13 FG) with six caroms.
• Junior Kellie O'Neill (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) added 11 points and Caitlyn Staab (Lynbrook, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) pitched in 10 points, both finishing with seven rebounds.
• Graduate Taylor Raccuglia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) had a near double-double with eight points and nine rebounds.  

Inside the Box Score 

• Brooklyn protected the ball well, yielding a season-best-tying eight rebounds—matching the previous meeting with the Golden Eagles—contributing to a 17-6 edge in points off turnovers.
• The Bears dominated scoring inside the paint, 46-26.

The Bear Facts

• The Bears 9-9 league record is their best since joining the Skyline Conference and with 11 wins overall is their first double-digit win campaign since 2014-15.
• Brooklyn takes the eighth straight meeting in the sibling rivalry, their last defeat coming in December 2012.

Next Up

Entering the Skyline Conference Championship as the No. 6 seed, the Bears face No. 3 Farmingdale State in the first round on Tuesday (Feb. 22) in Farmingdale N.Y. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. with live stats and video on SJCBears.com

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2018 Skyline Conference Women's Basketball Championship

Seeds

1. Mount Saint Mary (20-5, 17-1 Skyline)
2. Old Westbury (21-3, 15-3)
3. Farmingdale State (14-11, 13-5)
4. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (16-8, 12-6)
5. Mount Saint Vincent (11-11, 9-9)
6. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (11-14, 9-9)

First Round - Tuesday, Feb. 20

St. Joseph's-Brooklyn at Farmingdale State - 7 p.m.
Mount Saint Vincent at USMMA - 7 p.m.

Semifinals - Thursday, Feb. 22

St. Joseph's-Brooklyn/Farmingdale State winner at Old Westbury - 7 p.m.
Mount Saint Vincent/USMMA winner at Mount Saint Mary - 7 p.m.

Final - Saturday, Feb. 24

Semifinal winners, at highest remaining seed (time TBA)