O’Donnell Registers Season-Highs in Points, Rebounds in Women’s Basketball’s Victory Against Purchase

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Behind a 32-point, 15-rebound performance from junior guard Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep), the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team defeated Purchase College, 84-66, on Wednesday night from The Hill Center. With the win, the Bears (9-7, 7-4 Skyline) sweep the season series from the Panthers (2-13, 1-9 Skyline).

How it Happened

Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) opened the game with a fast break three-pointer before Purchase's Arta Krasniqi gave them a 5-3 lead. The Bears took the lead back over a minute later. Despite tying the game on two occasions in the first quarter, the visitors were unable to regain the lead for the remainder of the contest. O'Donnell netted 10 points in the period to give the Bears a 21-16 lead heading into the second stanza.

The Panthers trimmed their deficit to two to begin the second quarter before being held to six points in the remaining 7:48 of the half. O'Donnell poured in 14 of the team's 23 points in the period with Provino, Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) and Deserae Sequeira (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) combining for the remaining nine Bears points. St. Joseph's led the game, 44-25, as the game entered halftime.

Purchase began the second half on a 6-0 run in the opening minute of the second half. SJC scored eight of the next ten points; taking their largest lead of the game at 53-33 in the process with 6:37 on the clock. The Panthers narrowed their deficit to 10 with just under two minutes to play in the third. The guests outscored the Bears 23-19 in the third but thanks to six points by Kiley and four from Lauren Quesada (Westbury, N.Y./St. Francis Prep), SJC took a 15-point lead, 63-48, heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bears maintained their double-digit lead throughout the fourth, with the Panthers coming to within 11 early on in the period. O'Donnell's seven fourth-quarter points propelled her to her season-high 32 points while Alexis Breen (Union Beach, N.J./Keyport) contributed five points off the bench. The Bears finished the game with the 18-point victory, 84-66.

Post-Game Interviews

For the Bears

• O'Donnell finished the game three points shy of matching her career-high (35 vs. SJC Long Island, Feb. 6, 2018). Her 15 boards are a season-high. She also handed out four assists and three steals.
• Provino also came three points away from match a career-high in points, pouring in a season-high 15.
• Kiley's reached a new season-high in rebounds, collecting 17 boards while scoring 13 points. The freshman also blocked seven shots
• Quesada pulled down 11 boards and was a point shy from picking up her fourth double-double of the season.
• Sequeira dished out eight assists, scored four points and forced two steals.
• The Bears held to Panthers to just 31.8% shooting in the game.

Up Next

The Bears welcome Manhattanville College to The Hill Center, on Saturday, January 25, in the first game of the Alumni & Family Day doubleheader. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. with live stats and video available on SJCBears.com/live.