Women’s Basketball to Battle Brooklyn in Final Contest of 2017

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Following a two-week end-of-semester hiatus, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team is back in action hosting Brooklyn College on Saturday (Dec. 30) in their final non-conference matchup of 2017-18. Then, the Bears' schedule picks up steam with at least two Skyline showdowns per week for the remainder of the season.

Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.
vs. Brooklyn

Opponent's Info: Roster | Schedule | Stats
Coverage: Video (play-by-play: Michael Kerr) | Live Stats | Game Program/Notes

Previously

• The Bears come into play looking to bounce back from a 1-2 week (Dec. 11-16) in which they battled two Division 1 opponents. Coach Flahive's squad fell to NJIT and Army in lopsided fashion, but valued the experience and exposure of playing up in preparation for a Skyline-heavy finish to the year. However, they picked up a league victory over Yeshiva in between the two losses, fueled by a career-high 31 points (7 reb, 6 stl) from rookie Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep). Currently, St. Joseph's holds a 5-6 (3-2 Skyline) record and they sit at fifth place in the conference standings.
• Last season, the Bulldogs enjoyed immense success as they earned the No. 1 seed in the CUNYAC playoffs, eventually falling to No. 3 Staten Island in the final. Much of this success has carried over to 2017-18 with Brooklyn playing to a 7-2 (1-1 CUNYAC) record thus far. They rattled off a five-game win streak to begin the season but fell to Hunter College in their conference opener. Most recently, BC fell in a non-league battle with Montclair State (48-37) despite 13 points from junior wing Alexandra Moogan.

Keys to the Contest

• Both sides boast similar offensive styles, as each team has attempted the second-most three-pointers in their respective conferences this season. SJC's junior captain Victoria Porcasi (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) paces them beyond the arc, averaging 2.5 treys per game. For Brooklyn, Moogan serves as their biggest 3FG threat leading her team with 24 makes. Additionally, St. Joseph's addition of forward Taylor Raccuglia (12.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg in 2014-15) (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) for her final season of eligibility should definitely bolster a frontcourt that ranks last in the Skyline in rebounding (40.9 rpg).
• The Bulldogs graduated last season's leading scorer Olivia Colbert (10.9 ppg), but have been powered by four players averaging double-figures led by senior Karen Mak's 13 points per game. SJC's depth will be put to the test on Saturday, as Brooklyn's reserves have dropped 20+ points in six of their nine games this year and surpassed 35 bench points twice. Therefore, a complete team effort will be required for the Bears to defeat one of the CUNYAC's finest.

History

• BC has won nine straight meetings in the Battle of Brooklyn and lead 15-10 in the all-time series.