Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team fell to Sacred Heart, 80-48, in Northeast Conference action Tuesday night at the Pitt Center. With the victory, the Pioneers improve to 16-7 (8-3 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 9-14 (4-8 NEC) overall.

Freshman Brianna Thomas (Baldwin, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Diocesan) led the way with a career-high 12 points, while sophomore Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Fellow classmate Stephanie Isaacs (Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven) chipped in 10 points.

SHU scored the first six points of the game and jumped out to a 10-4 lead before FDU scored seven unanswered points to go up 11-10 nearly six minutes into the contest.

A three-pointer from Isaacs gave the Knights a 16-13 advantage at the 10:27 mark of the first half, but it was all Pioneers after. SHU scored the next nine points, as the run eventually reached 26-9 to end the opening 20 minutes, giving the home team a 39-25 halftime lead.

The Pioneers then outscored FDU 43-25 in the second half to cruise to the 80-48 victory.

The biggest difference in the game was the SHU press, which forced the Knights into 26 turnovers. The Pioneers outscored FDU, 27-11, on points off turnovers, while dominating the paint, outscoring the Knights, 36-14.

SHU also outrebounded FDU, 42-31, including 20-9 on the offensive glass, leading to a 21-5 advantage in second-chance points.

The Knights shot 34.1 percent (15-of-44) from the field, including only 4-of-16 from three-point range, and 14-of-21 free throws, while the Pioneers connected on 44.1 percent (30-of-68) of their attempts and 17-of-22 from the charity stripe.

“We have to do a better job of taking care of the basketball and rebounding,” Head Coach Peter Cinella said.

Kiley Evans led SHU with 21 points, while Gabby Washington added 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Morgan Merriman chipped in 10 points and three steals, and Erika Norman dished out seven assists, grabbed six rebounds and collected three steals, to go along with six points.

FDU will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 16 when it travels to Brooklyn, N.Y. to take on LIU Brooklyn at 2 p.m.