BROOKLYN, NY – St. Francis Brooklyn women's basketball grabbed an early lead against Central Connecticut State Friday evening and battled to a 65-59 win over the visiting Blue Devils. The Terriers led throughout the game, despite a brief tie score (28-28) late in the second quarter and made all the key plays down the stretch to take the win. They are now 2-0 in conference play and are in a tie for first place with Wagner.
Senior guard Alyssa Fisher was a big part of the victory, totaling 29 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. She made all four of her three-point attempts and finished one point shy of tying a career high in points. Eszter Varga had a strong all-around game with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Sheridan Kavanagh added nine points.
The Terriers opened the contest on an 8-0 run, thanks to five points from Fisher and a made three-pointer by Kavanagh. The Blue Devils answered back to score six straight before a Fisher three made it 11-6. The remainder of the quarter went back-and-forth, and Katie Januszewska scored the final field goal of the period to put St. Francis Brooklyn up 19-14.
The Terrier offense went quiet to start the second but regained form in the final minutes. Another Fisher three-pointer stopped a 7-2 CCSU run but the visitors kept at it to tie it up at 28 late. Eszter Varga tallied the final two points of the half on a pair of free throws to help grab a 30-28 edge at the break.
St. Francis Brooklyn opened a seven-point lead in the third after five straight points by Fisher, but a 6-0 Blue Devil run cut it to a one-point lead. The lead would remain between one and four points over the next several minutes before a Tyra Myers jumper gave the team some breathing room at 44-39. The lead would get to as high as nine points before another Blue Devil spurt made it 49-43 with 10 minutes remaining.
The final frame saw things tighten up, but the Terriers held onto the lead throughout. A pair of CCSU free throws made it a one-possession game at 59-57 before Varga made a driving lay-in to make it a four-point edge. A key stop was made, Varga corralled her ninth rebound and the Terriers hit several free throws down the stretch to punctuate the victory.
Januszewska added six points off the bench. Sarah Bandoma matched her with six points of her own, adding five rebounds.
Up Next
The Terriers will have a week off before facing Sacred Heart on the road on Saturday, January 14. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
