BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's University, New York (Brooklyn) women's basketball team pushed its undefeated start to 4–0 with a decisive 81–37 victory over CCNY on Saturday afternoon at The Hill Center, earning wins in both days of the inaugural Defend the Den Invitational.

The Bears opened the first quarter with instant pressure, building a 15-5 cushion and forcing seven Beaver turnovers in the period. Domenika Sanchez  (Guayaquil, Ecuador) jump-started the scoring with back-to-back fastbreak layups off steals, and Mercedes Perez (San Antonio, Texas) added an early finish in transition. Kristen Donovan (Maspeth, N.Y.) banked a pair of triples before ending the frame with a pair of free throws to give SJBK a 24–15 lead into the second.

The Bears pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring CCNY 22–8 behind crisp ball movement, inside toughness, and timely perimeter shooting. Jasmine Chan-Clayton (Melbourne, Australia) sparked the run with a left-wing three, and Emma Centrella (Varese, Italy) controlled the interior with multiple offensive rebounds and a three-point play that energized the building. Donovan later connected on another three as St. Joseph's stretched its lead to 46–23 heading into halftime.

The third period featured another decisive surge as the Bears' spacing and tempo overwhelmed the Beavers. Centrella opened with a layup, Donovan buried back-to-back threes, and Aaniya Telford (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added a corner triple to punctuate a 12–2 burst. Perez repeatedly initiated transition opportunities, while Judith Vila (Vilassar de Mar, Spain) helped fuel the period's 22–5 advantage that pushed the score to 68–28.

St. Joseph's closed the afternoon with steady contributions across the lineup in the fourth. Sanchez, Telford, and Jizelle Velazquez (New York, N.Y.) applied continued pressure on the perimeter, while Centrella and Gabriella Cinque (Staten Island, N.Y.) kept control of the boards. The Bears maintained pace offensively to secure their fourth straight win to begin the season.

Donovan led all scorers with 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three and 7-of-11 from the field, paired with four assists and three steals. Perez added 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Centrella posted seven points and nine rebounds, Grech pulled seven boards while Tyrah Mack (New York, N.Y.) had six of her own. Chan-Clayton contributed six points on two threes, and Vila turned in a line of six points, five assists, and four steals. 

The Bears return to action on Wednesday, November 19, continuing their homestand at The Hill Center when they host Farmingdale State College in their Skyline Conference opener at 6 p.m.