Fourth Quarter Surge Too Late for Women's Basketball at Farmingdale

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Junior Destiny Marino (Howard Beach, N.Y./Christ the King) and senior Kristen Candelaria (Jamaica, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) had a pair of near double-doubles as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team chopped a 21-point second-half deficit down to seven, before falling 80-70 in Skyline Conference action on Wednesday evening. Marino paced the Bears with a team-high 17 points while Candelaria grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds in a losing effort for the Bears.

The Basics

• Final Score: Farmingdale State 80, St. Joseph's 70
• Records:  Farmingdale State (6-6, 5-2), St. Joseph's (4-8, 2-4 Skyline)
• Location: Farmingdale, N.Y.
• Arena: Walter A. Lynch Sports Center
• SJC Starters: Marino (G), O'Neill (G), Porcasi (G), Candelaria (F), Drago (C)

Turning Point

• After SJC trailed by six after the first quarter, the Rams built a 19-point lead in the second and outscored the Bears 27-17 in the frame and stayed on top for good.

How it Happened

• After a Kellie O'Neill jumper gave SJC their only lead of the contest, a 13-2 run from the Rams opened a double-digit advantage for the hosts. The Bears later scored seven straight to pull within two with four from Lauren Quesada and three from Kristen Candelaria and trailed by 23-17 at the first intermission.
• A 7-0 outburst from the Rams put the Bears again at a double-digit disadvantage and a 9-0 spurt later in the frame put SJC behind by 19 and they maintained their lead the rest of the way.
• St. Joseph's couldn't cut into the deficit as the teams played an even third quarter, 15-15.
• The Bears found some momentum in the fourth, shrinking a deficit that grew as large as 21 in the third down to just seven with an 11-2 run, but A.J. Smith connected on a trifecta and a layup to seal the win for the Rams.

For the Bears

• Destiny Marino just missed out on her second straight double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds.
• Senior Kristen Candelaria also fell one point shy of a double with a season-high nine points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds (10 offensive).
• Freshman Lauren Quesada also chipped in nine points in a reserve role, grabbing five rebounds, dishing out a team-high four assists, and swiping three steals.
• Catherine Drago added eight points on 4-of-8 shooting and secured three caroms.

Inside the Box Score

• Nine different Bears scored a field goal and contributed at least four points. The Bears bench outscored the Rams, 25-14. 
• The Bears were held to just 32 percent shooting (24-74) while the Rams shot 39 percent (34-87) on their home floor.
• Both squads couldn't find the range from behind the arc, shooting a combined 13 percent (6-of-45).
• The Rams outrebounded the Bears, 58-52, and scored over two-thirds of their points inside the paint (54-of-80).
• A.J. Smith led three Rams in double figures with 30 points. Tyra Harrison had 21 points and Essence Casey had a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.

The Bear Facts

• Marino extends her streak scoring in double figures to 11 games with her 58th career game.
• Victoria Porcasi's (6 pts, 7 reb) streak scoring 20-or-more points is snapped at four games. After logging all 40 minutes the last two contests, she played just 30 minutes plagued by foul trouble.
• Candelaria matched her career-high 15 rebounds, also against Farmingdale State set last February.

Next up for St. Joseph's

The Bears return home to The Hill Center to host preseason favorite and last season's regular season champion and runner-up Sage Colleges in a Skyline Conference matchup on Saturday, January 14. That game will tip-off at 2 p.m. and open a doubleheader with the men who host U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Live stats and video will be available on SJCBears.com.