Lady Bears Snap Nine Game Skid With Win Over New Jersey City University

JERSEY CITY, NJ - St. Joseph's scored six points in the final 1:58, breaking the sixth tie of the game, and held off New Jersey City University to win 63-60 on Monday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.  The win is the Lady Bears first since December 21, where they defeated Yeshiva University 45-43 in a HVWAC matchup.  Allison Kavanagh (Queens, NY/Mary Louis) turned in her third double-double this season leading the Lady Bears with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Bears held even with Gothic Knights throughout the game, which saw 17 lead changes and six ties.  Despite the see-saw battle, St. Joseph's never held larger than a two-point lead until the final three minutes.  NJCU led by as many as seven in the first half, but the game went into the lockers even at 30-30.

The second half was categorized by a series of runs that swung the momentum back and forth.  The Gothic Knights amassed a six-point lead early in the second, but the Lady Bears took back the lead with a 7-0 run, sparked by freshman Joanna Marciniec (Brooklyn, NY/Baruch) who scored all her five points during the spurt.  NJCU followed up with a 10-2 run to go back up by seven with 9:03 remaining.  St. Josephs' responded with their own 10-2 run where Kavanagh scored eight of her 10 second half points, and the Lady Bears were back up by one with 4:20 left.

A layup from Ebony Cunningham gave the Gothic Knights their last lead of the game at 52-51.  Quiet for most of the game, freshman point-guard Ashley McQuillian (Brooklyn, NY/St. Francis Prep) tallied eight of Lady Bears final 12 points.  McQuillan's layup and pair of free throws put St. Joseph's up three until a 3-pointer from Lashawn Overton tied the game for the fifth time.  The teams traded baskets again to tie the game at 57-57 with 1:58 remaining.  McQuillan hit another jumper at 1:37 and free throws from Melissa Velez (Queens, NY/Mary Louis) in the bonus would be the deciding points.

Kavanagh scored 10 points and had eight rebounds in the second half and also finished with a game high five steals.  Velez finished with 13 points, connecting on 3-for-8 from three, and had seven rebounds.  McQuillan added 11 points, dished out a game-high six assists and had four steals.

The Lady Bears held off a 20 rebound performance from Shayla Daniels and only trailed 55-42 on the rebound differential.  Ebony Cunningham led the Gothic Knights with 17 points, 9 rebounds and Lashawn Overton added 13 points.

St. Joseph's improves to 7-13 and New Jersey City falls to 4-17, their eight straight.  The Lady Bears travel to New Hampshire and Maine this weekend for a pair of USCAA matchups against New Hampshire Technical Institute on Saturday and Southern Maine C.C. on Sunday.