Provino Matches Career High as Women’s Basketball Stumbles at Sarah Lawrence

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. —  Senior Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) scored a team-high 18 points, but the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team saw a five-point halftime lead slip away in an 89-68 road loss to Sarah Lawrence College in Skyline Conference action on Thursday evening.

How it Happened

Briana Gomez knocked down a triple to open the scoring and the Bears (1-7, 1-4 Skyline) led for most of the first five minutes of the contest jumping out to a 12-6 lead, behind five points from Gomez. But the Gryphons (4-3, 2-2) would respond with nine unanswered and held a 19-14 lead at the opening break.

The hosts extended their lead to 25-18 before the Bears scored 15 straight to move back on top and build their largest lead of the game at eight, 33-25, with just over two minutes before halftime. Alexis Breen (Union Beach, N.J./Keyport) led the charge with a pair of triples that started and ended the run. The Gryphons trimmed the Bears lead to two but an Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) and-one with 28 ticks left sent SJC into the lockers up 37-32 at intermission.

A slow start to the second half would doom the Bears as the hosts scored the first nine points of the period and never trailed again. The Gryphons would shoot 52 percent in the period, led by 12 points from Kumi Tamura, and reversed a five-point deficit into an 11-point lead, 60-49, headed into the final period.

Despite Provino scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter, Tamura outpaced her with 17 to finish with a game-high 39 points as the Gryphons shot 59 percent in the final period to prevent any SJC comeback. 

For the Bears

• Provino's team-high 18 came on 6-of-11 shooting with four three-pointers. She also grabbed five boards, handed out two assists, and swiped two steals.
• Backcourt mate Breen also drained four triples and finished with 14 points, grabbing four rebounds, with two dimes.
• Kiley rounded out three in double-figures with an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double.
• Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) was held to single-digit scoring for the first time in 21 games finishing with near double-double of nine points and eight boards with three assists.
• Grace Kennedy (Maspeth, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) also chipped in nine points with a trio of rebounds and steals.

Next Up

The Bears will have two days off before their final game of 2021 squaring off against SUNY College at Old Westbury on Sunday, December 12 in a noon meeting at Farmingdale State College. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com/live.