EASTON, Mass. – Despite cutting a double-digit margin to one point with 92 seconds left, the St. Francis women’s basketball team fell 59-57 Thursday at Stonehill.
Gemma Walker paced the Red Flash with 17 points, including the 3-pointer to cut the margin to one point in the final two minutes.
Advertisement
Shelby Ricks added a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Trailing 52-39 with 1:50 left in the third quarter, St. Francis went on an 18-6 run to cut the margin to 58-57 with 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter on Walker’s long-distance call.
Ricks registered a defensive rebound on the ensuing Skyhawks offensive play, but a traveling call did not allow St. Francis to get a shot off. Stonehill made the front end of two free throws with 2.2 seconds left before missing the second, and Ricks came down with the board with 1.7 seconds left. After a timeout by the Loretto program allowed the ball to be advanced to the St. Francis end, Walker had a good look from the top of the key, but her shot did not fall as Stonehill escaped with the win.
While the game was decided in the waning seconds, Stonehill took the lead in the second quarter with a 20-8 run and held on to earn its fifth straight win in the series.
Advertisement
Fueled by 10 points by Walker, St. Francis went on an 18-6 run in a span of 10 minutes and 23 seconds to set up the dramatic finish. The Red Flash defense stymied the Skyhawks, who were 2-for-15 from the field, 0-for-6 from behind the arc and 2-for-2 from the free throw line during the St. Francis run.
The Red Flash jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first 94 seconds of the game thanks to layups by Makyiah Ward and Sajol Thornhill and a trey by Walker.
Six different players registered at least two points to aid a 13-6 run to give the Red Flash its largest lead of the first half at 24-15 with 8:32 left.
Desire Short knocked down her first 3-pointer in a Red Flash uniform to give the visitors their final lead at 29-26 with 3:55 left in the second quarter.
Advertisement
Coming off her first career 20-point game, Walker finished 7-for-12 from the floor and 3-for-7 from behind for her second-best scoring output of her career, and her third straight 10-plus point performance. She is averaging 16.0 points per game in her past three contests, and has four double-figure point games in her previous seven tilts.
Ricks tallied her fourth double-double of the season, her first in NEC play and her first since registering consecutive double-doubles to end nonconference play. The graduate student has six double-figure performances in her past eight games. She is averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in that stretch.
Cassandra Hawthorne grabbed eight rebounds, the second-most of her career. It was the first time since the first two games of the season that the graduate student hauled in at least eight caroms, after she had career highs of nine against Duquesne Nov. 3 and eight against La Salle Nov. 8.
James chipped in eight points, while Ward stuffed the stat sheet with four points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block.
