Women’s Basketball Shoots Down Cannoneers in Clinton Hill Battle

BROOKLYN, N.Y. —  Senior Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) scored a season-high 37 to lead nine different Bears that scored at least three points and the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team cruised to a 95-60 victory over Willoughby Avenue rivals Pratt Institute on Thursday evening.

Junior Alexis Breen (Union Beach, N.J./Keyport) chipped in 16 points and senior Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) added 12 to round out three in double figures. Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) had nine points and flirted with the Bears record, rejecting seven shots.

How it Happened

The Bears (5-14) raced out to an early 10-2 lead two minutes in with O'Donnell scoring the game's first four points followed by triples by Breen and Provino. SJC held the Cannoneers without a field goal for five-and-a-half minutes to pull away and led 27-13 at the first break finishing with 50 percent shooting (11-of-22) and six different Bears contributing to the balanced attack.

O'Donnell added 12 in the second stanza to finish with 20 by intermission as the Bears had another efficient quarter shooting 50 percent again (10-of-20) for a 52-28 halftime lead — their 52 points in a half also a season high.

O'Donnell continued to score at will with another double-digit frame for 30 in 30 minutes and the Bears led by 30 after three, 75-45. Pratt was unable to chip away at the Bears lead with the defense holding the Cannoneers to 29 percent shooting (22-of-77) and forcing 23 turnovers for the contest.

For the Bears

• O'Donnell's season-high came on 14-of-22 shooting and she added six boards, five steals, three assists, and two blocks. With 1,887 career points, she needs nine points to surpass Bears Hall of Famer Mary Barry '03 at second all-time in scoring.
• Breen tallied 16 points and dished out a game-high six assists while pulling down four rebounds.
• Provino netted 12 points and secured six rebounds with four assists and two steals, and a block.
• Kiley stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, seven blocks, six rebounds, five steals, and four assists. 
• Grace Kennedy (Maspeth, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) added eight points off the bench.
• Five different Bears combined for a team-record 14 rejections with Ayomide Adeoye (Brooklyn, N.Y./Edward R. Murrow) and Briana Gomez (West Hempstead, N.Y./Kellenberg).
• In addition to scoring and blocks, the Bears set or matched season-highs in field goal percentage (44.7%), field goals made (34), 3-point field goals made (10), assists (22), and steals (14).

Next Up

The Bears resume Skyline play meeting Yeshiva University on Sunday, February 6 in a contest at Maritime College. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com/live.