FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team hits the road on Thursday for its penultimate road game of the 2024-25 regular season to play Marist at 7 p.m. at the Red Foxes' McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

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OPENING TIP

• The Pioneers head to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Thursday afternoon for a 7 p.m. tilt at the Red Foxes' McCann Arena. 
• The Red Foxes are one of five times that the Pioneers will meet for the first time this season. 
• Sacred Heart last suffered a 54-44 loss to Saint Peter's on Saturday afternoon at the Pitt Center. 
• SHU got off to strong starts in the first, second and third quarters, but extended runs by the Peacocks gave them the advantage in a low-scoring affair. 
• The Pioneers got as close as eight points in the fourth quarter but ultimately suffered the 10-point defeat at home. 
• For the 14th straight game, Ny'Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers in scoring with 17 points.
• She added nine rebounds, three assists and two steals to round out her stat line.
• Emma Kirby also had a strong outing, tying a career-high with 11 rebounds to go along with eight points for a near double-double. 
• Nalyce Dudley tied Kirby with eight points and added six rebounds of her own.

LAST TIME OUT
Sacred Heart suffered a 54-44 loss to Saint Peter's in a defensive battle on Saturday at the Pitt Center. The Pioneers got off to good starts in the first and second quarters, but extended runs by the Peacocks put them up 30-14 at halftime. The Pios burst out of the gates to start the third quarter, putting together a 9-0 run to cut the margin to seven, 30-23, at 5:51. SHU got as close as five points in the quarter, 33-28, but would go into the fourth trailing 41-30. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, they got as close as eight points in the fourth but ended up suffering the loss. For the 14th straight game, Ny'Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers in scoring with 17 points. She added nine rebounds, three assists and two steals to round out her stat line. Emma Kirby also had a strong outing, tying a career-high with 11 rebounds to go along with eight points for a near double-double. Nalyce Dudley tied Kirby with eight points and added six rebounds of her own.

EMMA.
Kirby put on a show in the paint on Saturday, tying a career-high with 11 rebounds against the Peacocks. The sophomore forward has led the Pios in rebounding six times this season and reached 10+ boards twice. She is second on the team with 5.6 rebounds and third with 7.5 points per game.

SCOUTING MARIST

• The Red Foxes sit fifth in the MAAC standings at 9-7 after clinching a spot in the league's championship tournament on Saturday. 
• Following a mini skid with four losses over five games, Marist has won two in a row on the road against of the Western New York programs last week. 
• The Red Foxes have been better at home at McCann Arena, owning a 7-4 home record compared to a 6-8 mark on the road. 
• SHU will have to contend with tough competition in the paint against Marist, as it ranks second in the MAAC in blocks per game (4.0) and third in scoring defense (58.5). 
• Junior center Morgan Lee leads the charge, as she paces the conference with 2.35 blocks and is fourth with 7.7 rebounds per game. 
• The 6-5 center also leads the team with 12.8 points per game. 
• Redshirt junior guard Lexie Tarul is second on the team with 11.6 points per game and is third in the MAAC with 2.19 3-pointers per game.

 
SERIES HISTORY 

• The Pioneers will meet the Red Foxes for the first time in both programs' histories on Thursday. 
• Marist is one of five teams SHU will play for the first time this season, joining Post, Coppin State and new MAAC foes Canisius and Niagara.