Hot Start Not Enough For Women’s Basketball Against Sarah Lawrence

BROOKLYN, N.Y. —  Despite a combined 50 points from Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) and Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and 33 first-quarter points, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team suffered an 82-79 home loss to Sarah Lawrence College on Sunday afternoon in Skyline Conference action.

Kiley finished with a 26-point double-double and O'Donnell added 24 points to lead the Bears (4-13, 4-10). 

The Gryphons (6-10, 4-9) were paced by a pair of 20-point efforts by Kumi Tumura's game-high 28 and Lexie Wingertner's 20.

How it Happened

The Bears blitzed the visitors in the opening 10 minutes shooting a blistering 59 percent (13-of-22) from the field led by O'Donnell's 12 and Kiley's 10 points. The Gryphons opened the scoring before a 10-0 Bears run built a quick double-digit lead that ballooned to a 33-13 differential at the first break.

SJC stretched the lead to its largest at 22 early in the second, but the offense cooled off although Sarah Lawrence couldn't make a dent in the deficit. Seven different Bears scored in the period as their connect rate dropped to 25 percent but still maintained a 50-31 lead going into the lockers.

The tides turned in the third with the Gryphons scoring the first 11 points to shrink the Bears' lead to single digits before Kiley's jumper ended a four-minute scoring drought. But the visitors remained hot and finished with 55 percent shooting in the period and the Bears mustered just one other field goal and SJC faced a 62-58 deficit headed to the final period.

SJC trailed for the first four minutes of the fourth before a Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) triple put amidst an 8-0 run put the Bears back on top, 75-70, with five minutes to play. But the Gryphons responded with 10 straight over the next three minutes to take an 80-75 lead. SJC cut the deficit to one on a Kiley jumper and had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but broke down defensively needing a stop and the Gryphons got an easy layup for a three-point lead. Still with a chance to tie with 10 seconds left, SJC's two attempts from behind the arc wouldn't fall.

After the hot start, SJC finished shooting 33 percent (26-of-80) while the Gryphons finished 44 percent (33-of-71) for the game and 53 percent (19-of-36) in the second half.

For the Bears

• Kiley also pulled down 10 rebounds to record her fifth double-double of the season and her sixth game with 20-or-more points. 
• O'Donnell pulled down seven rebounds and handed out four assists to go along with her seventh 20-plus-point game of the season. She also finished a perfect 11-of-11 from the free-throw line.
• Provino rounded out three in double figures with 13 points, knocking down three three-pointers, with five rebounds and two assists.
• Briana Gomez (West Hempstead, N.Y./Kellenberg) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds (six offensive), one shy of her matching her career high. She also chipped in six points.
• Alexis Breen (Union Beach, N.J./Keyport) dished out seven assists to direct the offense.

Next Up

The Bears hit the road for the next three contests and will face USMMA on Tuesday, February 1 in Kings Point at 7 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com/live.