NEW YORK — The 2019-20 season opened for the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team with a 98-66 loss to New York University on Saturday afternoon from the Sportsplex on the campus of Hunter College.

How it Happened

The Violets (1-0) opened the contest with a 7-6 lead. The Bears (0-1) took the lead when sophomore guard Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) knocked down a pair of free throws. The lead eventually grew to 17-7 courtesy of jumpers by Provino and Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy). NYU responded by going on a 15-0 scoring run to go up 22-17. A made free throw by Kaitlyn Stenz saw the Bears end the first quarter down by three.

Senior forward Lauren Quesada (Westbury, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) cut the deficit to one with a layup to start the second period. NYU then took a nine-point lead, 30-20, as they continued their strong offensive showing. Kiley, along with fellow newcomers Lauren Duggan (Breezy Point, N.Y./St. Saviour) and Alexis Breen (Union Beach, N.Y./Keyport) combined for seven points to bring the score to 30-27. The hosts closed out the half with a 43-27 lead.

Junior Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) picked up six of her team-leading eight points in the third quarter from the foul line while Quesada added seven points of her own. However, the Violets took a 69-52 lead into the final stanza.

Quesada and Breen provided the scoring for the Bears in the fourth quarter, combining for 14 points, as NYU controlled the tempo; closing the game on an 11-3 run for the 98-66 win.

For the Bears

• Quesada picked up a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, leading the team in both categories.
• O'Donnell scored ten points as she went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.
• Breen had the most points off the bench with 11.

Up Next

The Bears face Emmanuel College in the first game of the Emmanuel Tip-Off Classic next Saturday, November 16. The opening tip from Boston is scheduled for 3 p.m. with live stats available on SJCBears.com/live.