Nov. 16, 2010

Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team improved to 2-0 to start the season with a 67-49 victory over Sacred Heart Tuesday evening at the William H. Pitt Center. Saint Joseph's junior guard Michelle Baker scored a career-high 17 points as the Hawks outscored the Pioneers 40-25 in the second half.

Up just 31-29 early in the second stanza, Saint Joseph's scored nine-straight points to open up a 40-29 advantage. Baker scored three points, with back-to-back three pointers by junior guard Katie Kuester and senior forward Dominique Bryant helping to open up the double-digit lead.

Sacred Heart scored to make it 40-31, but the Pioneers would get no closer. A pair of Baker baskets and a three-point play by junior forward/center Samira Van Grinsven gave Saint Joseph's a 48-34 lead with 11:01 to go

Saint Joseph's would not relent, allowing Sacred Heart to get no closer than 10 points over the remaineder of the game.

Sacred Heart (1-1) knocked down a three pointer to open the game, but the Hawks answered back with 9-0 to take control of the game. Saint Joseph's got four baskets from four different players to go with a free throw to gain the early lead 16:10 into the game.

Up 11-7, the Hawks opened up a 12-point lead behind a 9-1 spurt from 13:40 to 10:03 as sophomore guard/forward Mireia Vila gave SJU its biggest lead of the half.

Sacred Heart remained active and chipped away at the deficit. The Pioneers ended the half with a 14-5 run to make it a 27-24 Saint Joseph's lead at halftime.

For the game, the Hawks shot 27-of-54 and knocked down 5-of-13 from three-point range (38.5 percent). Saint Joseph's additionally went 8-of-13 from the foul line (61.5 percent) and outrebounded Sacred Heart, 39-27.

At the other end, Sacred Heart shot 19-of-52 from the field (36.5 percent), but were held to just 2-of-14 from three-point range (14.3 percent).

Van Grinsven was the only other Hawk in double figures, scoring 10 points to go with seven rebounds. sophomore guard Ashley Prim matched Van Grinsven with seven boards and added eight points, while Kuester finished with a team-high three assists to go with eight points. Additionally, all 12 Hawks in uniform played, with nine scoring at least two points.

Callan Taylor paced Sacred Heart with a game-high 19 points.

The Hawks return to action at UMBC this Saturday at 4 p.m.