FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the Northeast Conference (NEC) season on Monday, falling to Le Moyne by a 60-56 final score at the Pitt Center. 

The Pioneers were led on offense by Sajada Bonner, Ny'Ceara Pryor and Emma Kirby, as all three scored in double figures. Bonner paced the team with 13 points, while Pryor and Kirby each had 12. Pryor added eight rebounds, four assists and three steals for another near double-double. Kirby had five rebounds, two blocks and two steals for one of her best games of the season.

Records:
Sacred Heart: 9-9, 3-1 NEC
Le Moyne: 5-11, 3-0 NEC
 
Top Performers:
Sajada Bonner: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
Emma Kirby: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2 steals

How It Happened:
The first quarter belonged to the Dolphins, as hot shooting led them to a 17-10 lead after one. Le Moyne led by as much as 12 with 2:37 left in the frame, but a quarter-ending 6-1 run cut it to seven. Kirby and Bonner both hit layups in the surge, while Pryor went 2-for-2 at the stripe. 

Sacred Heart rallied again at the start of the second, drawing an 11-point margin to two following a 9-0 run. Pryor, Kirby and Bonner all scored in the second-quarter rally, with Bonner's three-point play highlighting the surge. Unfortunately for the Pios, Le Moyne retook a double-digit advantage with 1:57 remaining before an 8-1 SHU run gave the home team a 33-29 deficit going into halftime. 

A defensive showcase started the second half, as Sacred Heart took the period 13-9. Olivia Tucker scored five of her seven points in the third, with her 3-pointer at the 3:09 mark tying the game at 40-40. Both teams scored once over the final 3:09, with Amelia Wood's layup with four seconds left sending the game into the fourth tied at 42-all. 

The Dolphins took the first advantage of the fourth before the Pioneers answered. Bonner sank a triple from the left win to give SHU its first lead of the game, 49-48, with 5:57 left. The Pios led by as much as three, 51-48, following a Kirby layin, but the Dolphins reeled off five straight to go up two, 53-51, at the 3:47 mark. Over the final 3:47, the Pioneers continued to battle but could not tie the score. Some clutch free throw shooting by Le Moyne iced the game, as SHU suffered the 60-56 defeat. 

Up Next:
Sacred Heart hits the road again on Sunday, Jan. 21, when they head to Staten Island, N.Y., to play Wagner at 4 p.m.