BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's University, New York (Brooklyn) women's basketball team fell to St. Joseph's (Long Island), 70–58, on Saturday afternoon at The Hill Center.

The Bears' offense was firing on all cylinders in the opening quarter, shooting 9-of-14 from the field. Mercedes Perez (San Antonio, Texas) led the charge with 11 points, while Kristen Donovan (Maspeth, N.Y.) added five as Brooklyn built a 24–10 advantage after one.

The Golden Eagles began to slow the Bears in the second quarter. After SJBK extended its lead to 18 — the largest of the game — SJLI closed the half on a 15–4 run, fueled largely by three-point shooting, trimming the deficit to 37–33 at the break.

Long Island carried that momentum into the second half, outscoring Brooklyn 19–8 in the third quarter to take control. Nikki Grech (Northville, Mich.) sparked the Bears offensively after a quiet first half, accounting for much of the team's scoring over the final 20 minutes. However, her efforts — along with perimeter contributions — were not enough to overcome the Golden Eagles, as the Bears split the season series with their sibling school.

Perez led all Bears with 17 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Grech finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Emma Centrella (Varese, Italy) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double. Donovan contributed eight points, and Aaniya Telford (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

The Bears will look to regroup on Alumni Day next Saturday, February 7, when they host the University of Mount Saint Vincent at The Hill Center. The game will tip off at 3 p.m. and follow the men's contest against SUNY Maritime.