Release courtesy of St. Joseph's Athletics
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team played suffocating defense and forced turnovers as they topped Berkeley (N.Y.), 59-44, in a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) game Tuesday night at the Hill Center.
With the win, the Lady Bears (12-7, 3-0 HVIAC) have extended their season-best win streak to five games and now move into possession of first place in the conference.
Senior Taylor Raccuglia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) tallied a double-double, scoring a game-high 23 points along with 13 rebounds and five assists. This week's HVIAC Rookie of the Week Destiny Marino (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) scored 14 points and seven rebounds. She has now scored double figures in 16 straight contests.
Samantha Retas (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) added eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, while Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) also chipped in with eight points off the bench on four-for-five shooting.
Champagne Hazel led the Knights (11-7, 3-1 HVIAC) with 19 points, including four three-pointers, and added eight boards in a losing cause. Rodnesha Diamond added eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Janay Thomas netted 13 points and five rebounds.
The first half started slow for both teams, each trading the lead three times. Trailing 13-10 with 10:01 minutes remaining, the Lady Bears played tenacious defense and ended the half on a 16-2 run. St. Joseph's held the Knights to 18.8% (6 for 32) shooting in the half as they went into the half leading 26-15.
In the second half, Berkeley would around and cut the deficit to single digits a few times in the stanza but the Lady Bears were too tough on the defensive end to secure the victory. One of the best defensive teams in NCAA Division III, St. Joseph's forced the Knights to just 24.9% shooting on the game and forced 21 turnovers. They also showed a strong presence down low, finishing with 36 points in the paint, including 18 in the second half.
The Lady Bears will go on the road following the home stand to take on HVIAC rival Yeshiva at the Wellness Center at the College of New Rochelle on Thursday night. Tip time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com.
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Release courtesy of Berkeley Athletics
In a contest featuring two teams playing for sole possession of first place in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Berkeley College women's basketball team fell to the Lady Bears of St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn by a score of 59-44 at the beautiful Hill Center in downtown Brooklyn. The loss – the Knights' fifth straight – drops Berkeley to 11-7 overall (3-1 in conference play), while the Lady Bears improved to 12-7 on the 2014-2015 campaign, and an unblemished 4-0 in league competition.
The teams traded the lead three times in the early stages of the opening half, and the Knights led 13-10 just 9:41 into the contest. Berkeley's Champagne Hazel and Rodnesha Diamondaccounted for five points apiece during that span. For the remainder of the period, it was all St. Joseph's, however, as the Lady Bears turned up the voltage on defense and allowed just one more Knights field goal for the rest of the stanza while putting together a 16-2 run to take a 26-15 advantage into the locker room at halftime. St. Joseph's held the Knights to 18.8 percent shooting (6-for-32) for the half.
Berkeley College refused to go quietly in the second half, cutting its deficit to single digits numerous times. The Lady Bears' swarming defense was too much for the Knights, however, as St. Joseph's stayed poised and eventually nailed-down the 15-point victory. St. Joseph's held Berkeley to just 24.9 percent shooting for the evening while forcing 21 turnovers. The Lady Bears also dominated inside, finishing with 36 points in the paint, including 18 in the second half.
Taylor Raccuglia led the way for the Lady Bears, putting together a double-double, as she scored a game-high 23 points while snatching 13 rebounds and tallying five assists. Destiny Marino added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Samantha Retas had a nice all-around game, netting eight points, snatching 10 rebounds, and swatting four shots.
Despite the loss for the Knights, Champagne Hazel led the way for squad, scoring a team-best 19 points, nailing four three-pointers, and adding eight rebounds. Rodnesha Diamond contributed eight points and a game-high 15 caroms, and Janay Thomas netted 13 points and snatched five rebounds.
Berkeley College will look to get back in the win column on Thursday evening, as the Knights will travel to the Pratt Activities Resources Center for a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against the Cannoneers. Start-time for that contest is scheduled for 6:30pm.
