Box Score BROOKLYN, NY – The St. Francis Terriers beat the first place Robert Morris Colonials at their own game, outlasting the Northeast Conference's best defensive team, winning 49-47 in a true Brooklyn Tough effort.
The win propels the Terriers to (10-14, 6-7 NEC), moving them to fourth place in the conference, and matching their league win total from last season.
The Game:
The Terriers were limited to one first quarter point in the first meeting between these two teams back on January 8, but in the rematch, the ladies from Brooklyn barraged the Colonials with a quick 14 points in the game's first five minutes. However, after leading 14-7, the Colonials rallied with an 18-5 run, leading 25-19 with just over two minutes to go in the first half.
The Terriers and Colonials exchanged five-point runs to end the first half, which brought Robert Morris ahead 30-24 at halftime.
In the third period, the Terriers rediscovered some of their early first quarter magic, outscoring the Colonials 18-11, which at one point stood as a 14-4 run. The Terrier push resulted in a 42-41 lead heading into the fourth, shrunk from an initial 42-38 edge after a buzzer beating three from Colonial forward Megan Smith.
The fourth grew into a defensive stalemate, with both teams standing at a 45-45 tie for a duration of the remaining minutes before a
Maria Palarino free throw gave the Terriers the lead with less than two minutes to go.
Alex Delaney later nailed two free throws after a late defensive stop from the Terriers, giving the Brooklyn-based squad a 48-45 advantage with 30.2 seconds remaining. Nina Augustin retaliated with a two-point bucket with 16.9 seconds left, bringing the Colonials within one, 48-47, and prompting a Terrier timeout.
After going up two-points late in the fourth, thanks to another Delaney free throw, the Colonials had a chance to tie or potentially win the contest, but were denied by a stifling Terrier defense on the final possession.
The Terriers:
Offensively,
Jade Johnson led the way with a team-high 11 points, reaching double-figures for the 20
th time this season.
Alex Delaney followed with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists, and making one three-pointer, which tied her with Kim Weir for fourth all-time in program history at 156 career makes from deep.
Amy O'Neill dished out a game-high seven assists, while also coming away with four steals. Freshman forward
Abby Anderson added seven points in 11 minutes off the bench.
Robert Morris:
Nadege Pluviose led the Colonials with 10 points.
The Battle Of Brooklyn:
The Terriers will remain home for the third straight time, playing host to rival LIU-Brooklyn on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a Battle of Brooklyn that will carry many playoff implications. The match-up will be the 25
th annual Battle of Brooklyn, and air on ESPN 3.
