Women’s Basketball Bounces Back with Dominant Win over Mount Saint Vincent

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A lockdown second quarter and a record-tying performance by sophomore Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) was enough to ensure a 90-66 win for St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball (12-6, 9-3 Skyline) over the College of Mount Saint Vincent (4-13, 3-9 Skyline). They bounce back after a tough home loss over second-place USMMA and are now winners of four of their last five.

O'Donnell matched her own Bears single-game steals record with 10 thefts and finished with a game-high 22 points as Lauren Quesada (Westbury, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) also turned in a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead five Bears finishing in double-figure scoring.

How it Happened

The Dolphins came out firing with a 7-2 run over the first two minutes. However, this would mark CMSV's largest lead of the game, as SJC closed out the quarter outscoring them, 22-11, and never looked back after taking lead.

The second quarter saw the Bears stifle the Dolphins, forcing them to shoot 23 percent from the field and held them to just 10 points, while O'Donnell and Samantha Wilber (Island Heights, N.J./Central Regional) combined for 17 of SJC's 19 points in the frame, building their lead to 15 points at halftime, 43-28.

The Bears would continue building on this lead, especially in the last five minutes of the third, putting their foot on the gas with a 13-4 run, featuring trifectas from both freshmen Briana Gomez (West Hempstead, N.Y./Kellenberg) and Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison), to grab their largest lead of the game late in the third, 71-43 (28 points).

St. Joseph's saw eight different players record a field goal in the second half combining to shoot 56 percent (19-34) to maintain their sizeable advantage.

For the Bears

• Kelly O'Donnell owns both points-steals double-doubles in team history, scoring 22 points with a record-tying 10 steals, also grabbing seven rebounds and handing out two assists. She last swiped 10 steals at home vs. Sarah Lawrence as a rookie last February.
• Victoria Porcasi dropped 19 points, with five rebounds and four assists. This pushes Porcasi's career point total at 1,525, just five points shy of surpassing Michelle Softy '06 at third on the Bears all-time scoring list.
• Co-captain Lauren Quesada posted a 14-point, 11-board double-double, her ninth of the season.
• Caitlyn Staab (Lynbrook, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) finished one rebound shy of a third double-double with 13 points and nine caroms.
• Samantha Wilber added 11 points to round out five scoring in double figures.

Next up for the Bears

The Bears take a one-game road trip to Newburgh, N.Y. on Saturday (Jan. 26) to face first-place and league unbeaten Mount Saint Mary College (14-4, 11-0 Skyline). Tip-off in Newburgh is set for 1 pm with links to live stats and video will be available on SJCBears.com.