No. 5 Women's Basketball's Season Concludes with First-Round Defeat to No. 4 St. Joseph’s (LI)

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — An 18-point showing from Destiny Hurt (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka) and a double-double of 10 points and 16 rebounds from Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) weren't enough for the No. 5 St. Joseph's University, N.Y. (Brooklyn) women's basketball team as they suffered a 59-47 defeat to No. 4 St. Joseph's University, N.Y. (Long Island) in the first round of the Skyline Conference Women's Basketball Tournament on Tuesday night.

Aaniya Telford (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall Academy) joined Hurt and Kiley in double figures, dropping 13.

The Bears conclude the 2022-23 campaign at 11-14, with an 8-11 record in league play while the Golden Eagles sit at 16-9 overall (13-6 Skyline) as they meet the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in the conference semifinal.

How it Happened

The first quarter began slow but both teams picked up the temp midway through the period. A made three-pointer by Kristen Donovan (Maspeth, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) cut an early deficit to 12-8 with 2:49 remaining in the stanza before the hosts took a 16-11 lead into the second.

The Bears held the Golden Eagles' advantage to no more than seven in the second frame. A Kiley jumper drew the game level at 23 before knotting the game up once more at 27-all with 1:17 remaining. Long Island took their two-possession lead, 29-27, into the break.

Trailing by five a minute into the second half, 34-29, Brooklyn used a 7-0 run to claim their first lead since the first quarter, 36-34. The rest of the third quarter saw one tie and three lead changes with the Golden Eagles using a six-point run of their own in the final two minutes to lead 46-40.

The hosts took a 10-point lead in the closing period, 52-42. Unable to close the gap any further, the Bears saw their season come to an end with a 59-47 loss.

For the Bears

• Hurt came a rebound away from a double-double. 
• Kiley's rebounds were two shy of her season- and career-high. She also had three steals. The recent 1000-point scorer concludes her collegiate career with 1,013 points, 722 rebounds, and a program-record 204 blocks.
• Telford registered her sixth double-figure scoring game while adding three rebounds and a pair of assists to her name.
• Donovan collected nine rebounds.
• Grace Kennedy (Maspeth, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) had five rebounds.