Box Score Loretto, Pa. -- Saint Francis (Pa.) used a
10-for-14 effort from 3-point range in the first half to carry
itself to its second consecutive win, a 94-58 victory over
Youngstown State on Thursday at DeGol Arena.
Three players had at least 14 points in the first 20 minutes for
the Red Flash, who had lost five-point games to both Pittsburgh and
Bowling Green earlier in the season.
Britney Hodges scored 19 of her game-high 26 points in the first
half, and Samantha Leach and Allison Daly both had 16 in the
opening period.
Brandi Brown had 16 points to lead three Penguins in double
figures. Bojana Dimitrov added 13 points, and Macey Nortey had 12.
Rachael Manuel had a career-high 10 rebounds and was a point shy of
recording her first double-double.
Hodges and Leach combined for 23 of the Red Flash's first 24
points, and Daly had 14 of the final 31 in the first half.
The first four minutes of the contest were back-and-forth with
three lead changes and three ties before Saint Francis started to
creep away. After Manuel's bucket tied the score at 9-9 with 16:43
mark, Saint Francis scored four straight as part of a 9-2 run that
give it an 18-11 lead.
Manuel hit again to get the Penguins within five, but SFU scored
the next six points and 12 of the next 16 to go ahead 30-17 with
8:37 remaining. YSU scored the next four points to climb within
nine points at 30-21, but Daly hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start
an 8-0 run as the Red Flash started to pull away. SFU also ended
the first half by scoring eight straight points, including its 10th
trey of the half by Hodges.
The Guins started the second half on a 7-2 run, but their
scoring pace slowed as Saint Francis increased its lead.
YSU will welcome Bowling Green to the Beeghly Center on Monday
at 11 a.m. All kids in grades 12-and-under in attendance will
receive a free general admission ticket.