BALTIMORE, Md. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team earned its first win of the 2023-24 season Sunday afternoon with a 63-55 victory over Morgan State in non-conference play in Baltimore, Md. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 1-1
Morgan State: 1-1
 
Top Performers:
Sajada Bonner: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 4-for-6 3PT
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 13 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals
Sierra Johnson: 18 points, 8 rebounds
 
How It Happened:
After both teams had empty possessions to start today's game, SHU made the first basket on a Ciara Brannon layup. From there, both offenses settled in, with the lead changing hands multiple times. 

The Pioneers went up by as much as seven points in the first following an 8-0 run, which was sparked by an Amelia Wood steal and score, and a 3-pointer. Unfortunately for SHU, the Lady Bears scored the final five points of the first to draw the deficit to two, 18-16. 

Morgan State built on its strong finish to the first quarter by winning the second, 17-13. The Lady Bears led by as much as five, 30-25, in the frame. However, it was the Pios' time to rally as they ended the stanza on a 6-3 run to set the halftime score at 33-31. 

Out of the break, Sajada Bonner started to warm up by hitting two 3-pointers in the opening 3:02 of the quarter, the second putting SHU up 37-35. Her third trey at the 4:27 mark of the third gave the Pioneers a 40-38 lead, which they would hold for the rest of the game. Bonner added another triple and a layup to her impressive quarter, while Ny'Ceara Pryor sank a buzzer-beating floater to send the Pioneers into the fourth ahead 49-44. 

Following a Bonner three-point play and an Amelia Wood layup, the Pios owned their largest lead of the game, 58-45. The Lady Bears' offense started to come back to life in the fourth as it ate away at Sacred Heart's lead, but it proved not enough in a 63-55 Pioneers' victory. 

Bonner led the Sacred Heart offense with a team-high 19 points, which is one off her best mark as a Pioneer. Pryor, playing in her home city of Baltimore, also finished in double figures with 13 points. The do-everything guard added eight assists, three rebounds and three steals to her stat line. Sierra Johnson came very close to posting her first career double-double with eight points and eight rebounds. Ciara Brannon and A. Wood finished the bout with seven points each. 

Up Next:
SHU hits the road again on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to play Monmouth at 7 p.m. in West Long Branch, N.J.