Porcasi, O’Donnell Combine for 40 as Women’s Basketball Overcomes Mount Saint Vincent

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — In their 2017-18 Skyline Conference opener, riding a two-game win streak, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team upended the College of Mount Saint Vincent at home on Tuesday night. Reigning Skyline Rookie of the Week Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) dropped a career-high 20 points, complemented by 20 from junior captain Victoria Porcasi (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) on the way to a 64-61 victory.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 64, Mount Saint Vincent 61
• Records: St. Joseph's (3-2, 1-0), Mount Saint Vincent (1-1, 0-1)
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. — The Hill Center
• SJC Starters: O'Neill (G), Porcasi (G), O'Donnell (G), Wilber (F), Staab (C)

Turning Point

• O'Donnell drained a three with 7:11 remaining in the game to give the Bears a 52-51 lead that they would never relinquish.

How It Happened

• Both teams struggled early, but O'Donnell rattled off seven of the hosts' first nine points to pull out to a 9-4 lead at 4:30 in the first. However, Porcasi scored six-straight to give them an 18-14 lead heading into the second.
• In the next frame, the Bears struggled mightily from the field, but back-to-back threes from Porcasi and sophomore Gina Hopkins (Astoria, N.Y./Msgnr. McClancy) halfway through the period kept them afloat, holding a 27-26 lead going into halftime.
• The third quarter saw the contest remain very close with the score 40-40 with 1:43 to go after a layup from Mount Saint Vincent's Kelly Nova. All of a sudden, the Dolphins erupted for a 7-3 run to end the quarter giving them a 47-43 advantage after three.
• O'Donnell buried her clutch trey almost four minutes into the fourth and Porcasi scored a lights-out nine points in the final three minutes of regulation to ice the game, leading to a 64-61 triumph to begin league play.

Highlights

WBB | �� highlights from the Bears 64-61 victory last night in their @Skylineconf opener. ����
Recap: https://t.co/XERBS3MwX2#BearWitnessSJC #SJCNY #d3h #d3basketball pic.twitter.com/GVlNdTgNO5

— St. Joseph's Bears (@SJCBears) November 29, 2017

For the Bears

• Porcasi served up four dimes and nabbed a steal and block, along with her 20 points.
• O'Donnell corralled eight rebounds and had two takeaways, on top of her career-high 20 points.
• Catherine Drago (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) led the second-unit with nine points and four rebounds while padding her team-lead in blocks with a season-high three.

Inside the Box Score

• St. Joseph's led in second-chance points (12-9) despite being outrebounded 54-39. SJC was led on the boards by junior Caitlyn Staab (Lynnbrook, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) (10).
• Both squads were cold from deep with the Bears shooting 20.5% 3FG as opposed to CMSV's 20%.

The Bear Facts

• With the win, the Bears snapped a six-game losing streak to the Dolphins, as their last victory came in 2012 (Jan. 5) by a score of 72-70.
• Porcasi picked up her fourth 20-point game out of five total contests.

Next Up for the Bears

• A home Skyline matchup against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Thursday (Nov. 30) at 7 p.m. Live stats and video at SJCBears.com.