Porcasi Scores 1,500th Point as Women’s Basketball Drops Second-Place Battle With USMMA

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Senior captain Victoria Porcasi (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) became the fourth Bear in program history to score 1,500 career points, but the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team was held to their lowest scoring output of the season, dropping a 57-41 decision to the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Saturday afternoon at The Hill Center.

Porcasi scored 11 points to share team-high honors with Lauren Quesada (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) for the Bears (11-6, 8-3) who saw their three-game win streak snapped by the one-loss Mariners squad (13-1, 9-1). Despite the loss, the Bears currently sit in third place, 1.5 games behind the Mariners in second and 1.5 ahead of Old Westbury and Purchase.

How it Happened

The visitors used a 7-0 run in the first quarter to take a 13-4 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Mariners led by as many as 10 before a Porcasi triple just before the end of the period scored her milestone point.

USMMA widened their advantage to 32-22 at halftime, as the Bears shot just 19 percent in the second stanza and were hindered by the Mariners dominance on the offensive glass turning 13 boards into an 11-3 second-chance scoring edge.

St. Joseph's could find little answers after the break against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, finishing with a sub-30 percent shooting effort. The Bears limited the Mariners to a 30 percent connect rate, but USMMA finished with a 50-37 rebounding edge and controlled paint scoring, 26-14.

For the Bears

• Victoria Porcasi finished with a team-high 11 points and four rebounds. With 1,506 career points, the senior captain needs 24 points to surpass Michelle Softy '06 at third on the Bears all-time scoring list.
• Lauren Quesada also netted 11 points with eight rebounds and a pair of assists and steals.
• Kelly O'Donnell chipped in a near double-double with nine points, eight rebounds, and a career-high five blocks.

Next up for the Bears

The Bears wrap up a two-game stretch at The Hill Center hosting the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Wednesday (Jan. 23) in the opening game of a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. Live stats and video are available at SJCBears.com.