RICHMOND, Va. - Scoring six of her game-high 20 points in the final minute, senior guard Ciara Andrews help lead the Saint Joseph's women's basketball team to a 66-63 win at VCU on Sunday afternoon at the Siegel Center.
Down by four with under a minute to play, Andrews brought the Hawks to within one, 63-62, on a three-point play with 44 seconds left.
Back on defense, the Hawks (8-7, 2-1 Atlantic 10) got the key defensive stand they needed as sophomore Adashia Franklyn blocked a layup, giving the ball back to SJU.
Out of a timeout, Andrews and classmate Sarah Fairbanks worked back-and-forth passing on the right wing, allowing Andrews to get open and knock down a three-pointer with 10 seconds to play to give the Hawks a 65-63 lead.
On the ensuing VCU (12-4, 1-2 A-10) possession, the Rams failed to convert and Franklyn would follow with a free throw to extend Saint Joseph's lead to 66-63.
With 3.8 seconds to go, the Rams last-chance three failed to hit the target as the Hawks moved over .500 for the first time this season.
In a back-and-forth contest that saw the lead change hands 11 times, Saint Joseph's opened a five-point advantage early in the final quarter, but slowly saw the lead slip as VCU would open up a four-point lead before the final frantic minute.
For the game, Saint Joseph's shot 45.7 percent overall (21-of-46), knocked down 6-of-15 from three-point range and went 18-of-26 from the foul line (69.2 percent).
Freshman Alyssa Monaghan added 14 points to go with two assists, while Fairbanks scored 12 points to go with five rebounds and added two blocks to become the fourth player in SJU history to surpass the 100-block mark with her 100th and 101st on the day. Franklyn grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to go with seven points and a pair of blocks.
At the other end, Isis Thorpe had 16 points to lead the Rams as they shot 40.6 percent overall (26-of-64), but went just 3-of-10 from behind the arc and 8-of-18 from the foul line.
Saint Joseph's returns to action this Wednesday when it hosts Richmond at 7 p.m.
