Women's Basketball Defeats Sacred Heart, 59-48, On Senior Day
2/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HAMDEN, Conn. – Erin Kerner (Erie, Pa.) and Mandy Pennewell (West Chester, Pa.) scored 17 points apiece as the Quinnipiac women's basketball team defeated Sacred Heart, 59-48, Saturday afternoon at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. Nicole Duperron (Fort St. John, British Columbia) also added a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds on Senior Day.
With the win, the Bobcats improve to 22-3 (14-1 NEC), matching their largest win total the Division I history of the program. The victory also avenges the Bobcats' only prior NEC loss this season, a 92-82 decision, Jan. 26, in Fairfield. The Pioneers fall to 18-9 (13-3 NEC) with the loss.
Alisa Apo led Sacred Heart with 16 points while Kaitlin Sowinski and Maggie Cosgrove added 12 apiece. Sowinski and Stephanie Ryan had nine rebounds each.
Quinnipiac jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the early going, but the Pioneers used an 8-0 run to take a 17-10 lead by the 12:23 mark. The Bobcats responded with 13 of the next 15 points to take a 23-19 lead. The advantage swelled to six points, 27-21, before Cosgrove hit the first of her four three-pointers to cut the deficit in half going into the locker room.
Duperron led all scorers and rebounders at the half with nine and seven, respectively. Pennewell also added seven for Quinnipiac. Sowinski paced the Pioneers with eight points while Apo added seven.
The teams traded punches early in the second, all on three-pointers. Cosgrove made a pair that tied the game while Rooney and Kerner made one apiece to reestablish the three-point advantage. Apo nailed the last three in the string at the 17:29 mark to tie the game at 33.
The Bobcats retook the lead for good on Monique Lee's (Lynn, Mass.) jumper in the paint at the 17:11 mark. The Bobcats continued to lead for the next nine minutes, but couldn't extend the lead to more than four points until the 5:38 mark. Kerner and Duperron made jumpers to extend the lead to eight before the advantage reached 13 points inside of a minute left on two Lee free throws.
Quinnipiac held the Pioneers to just 23.9 percent (16-67) from the floor, while shooting 39.7 (23-58) themselves. The Bobcats also outrebounded the Pioneers, 53-39.
The Bobcats return to action Monday, when they play host to Monmouth. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.
