Women's Basketball Scares Second-Place Manhattanville

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — All eight Bears to see action contributed at least three points each and the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team led by as many as 11 on the home floor, but second-place Manhattanville College escaped with a 70-58 Skyline Conference victory on Saturday afternoon at The Hill Center.

Senior Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) scored 22 points to lead all scorers and junior Alexis Breen (Union Beach, N.J./Keyport) chipped in 12 points.

How it Happened

After falling behind 11-7 to start the game, the Bears (2-10, 2-7) responded with an 11-2 run with Breen draining three triples in the spurt and SJC took the lead for the remainder of the half. Breen finished with 11 points in the first quarter and led 20-16.

The Valiants (10-2, 6-1) cut the SJC lead to two, 22-20, before nine unanswered extended the SJC to its largest, 31-20, and SJC carried a 31-26 lead into the lockers.

The visitors drew even twice in the third, but trifectas from O'Donnell and Grace Kennedy (Maspeth, N.Y./Monsigor McClancy) rebuilt two separate five-point leads, but the Valiants closed out the third on a 10-3 run to overtake the Bears for the first time since early in the first and led 46-44 headed into the final frame.

O'Donnell would score 11 points in the final 10 minutes, highlighted by a four-point play that pulled the Bears within four with three minutes to play, but the Valiants scored six straight to build a double-digit lead and ended any SJC hopes for a comeback.

For the Bears

• O'Donnell's game-high 22 was her fourth 20-point game of the season. She also filled up the stat sheet with six rebounds, five steals, three assists, and two blocks.
• Breen compiled her fifth straight game scoring in double figures, knocking down three three-pointers with four assists and two rebounds.
• Fatima Monsour (Brooklyn, N.Y./New Utrecht) chipped in seven points and grabbed as many rebounds.
• Briana Gomez (West Hempstead, N.Y./Kellenberg) grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, her first game pulling double-digit boards, and added four points.
• The Bears rejected a season-high eight shots with Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) swatting three shots, O'Donnell rejecting a pair, and Breen, Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison), and Ayomide Adeoye (Brooklyn, N.Y./Edward R. Murrow) each picking up a block.

Next Up

SJC hits the road for their next two contests, heading up to Newburgh on Tuesday, January 18 to face Mount Saint Mary College in a Skyline Conference tilt starting at 6 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com/live.