FAIRFIELD, Conn.. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team opened the home portion of its 2023-24 schedule with a 63-60 victory over Hofstra at the Pitt Center. Before the game, the Pioneers debuted three banners to commemorate their Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship and magical run in the NCAA Tournament.

Records:
Sacred Heart: 3-1
Hofstra: 2-2
 
Top Performers:
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
Sajada Bonner: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Amelia Wood: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3-for-6 3PT
 
How It Happened:
After the two teams sat tied at 7-7 through the opening 5:20, SHU pulled ahead with an 11-2 run to go up 18-9. A Sajada Bonner 3-pointer and layup bookended the home surge, while Ny'Ceara Pryor added four points in an 11-second burst with a layup, steal and another layup. Pryor scored another bucket with three seconds left sent SHU into the second quarter up 21-12.

The start of the second favored the Pioneers, as a Bonner trey and fast-break basket put SHU up 14 points, 26-12, with 6:28 left in the half. Unfortunately for Sacred Heart, the Pride ended the quarter on a 14-4 run to cut the lead to four, 30-26, heading into the break. 

SHU got off to another fast start in the third quarter, going up double-digits again by the 8:44 mark, 36-26, after an Amelia Wood triple. Wood was critical to the Pios' success in the quarter as she hit all three of her treys in the third, her last giving Sacred Heart a 44-34 advantage with 5:41 left. In the quarter, the Pioneers got up as much as 13, 49-36, ultimately going into the fourth ahead by nine, 51-42. 

In the fourth, SHU was held to just free throws through the first 4:33 until a Bonner 3-pointer with 5:27 left. Bonner's triple widened the Pios' advantage to seven, 58-51. Hofstra continued to battle, getting to within three points by the game's final possession. With the game on the line, Pryor's suffocating defense stopped the Pride's Ally Knights from getting a shot off as the Pioneers secured a 63-60 win. 

Pryor and Bonner matched each other for the team lead in points with 18 each. Pryor added eight rebounds, four assists and three steals to her stat line, while Bonner finished with four boards and two assists. Wood tallied 15 points and seven rebounds this afternoon. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers have off until Thanksgiving, as they will next play on Thursday, Nov. 23, against the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez at 9 p.m. in the San Juan Shootout. SHU will also play VCU (Nov. 24) and UCF (Nov. 25) in the three-day tournament.