Women's Basketball Uses Defensive Second Half to Earn CACC Win Against Post

WATERBURY, Conn. - After going up 35-27 in the half, the Rams held the Eagles to only 10 second half points in the third and fourth quarter as the Thomas Jefferson University women's basketball team (12-6, 6-2) come away with a 63-37 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) win over Post University (4-15, 3-5) in Saturday afternoon competition. 

WHAT HAPPENED 

• Jefferson took control in the first quarter, scoring 21 points over Post's 11. The Rams began that with a 13-9 opening run that saw Cassie Murphy and Emily Spratt add four points apiece. Emma Kuczynski hit a three-pointer on that run with Tori Nigro making the first basket of the game to help that Jefferson attack 

• Post scored seven of the next nine points to trail 15-11. The Rams maintained control after that, ending the first with a 6-0 run as Gabby Recinto joined Spratt and Nigro in scoring baskets down the stretch to go into the second quarter up 21-11 

• The Eagles were able to get the advantage in the second, scoring 16 points over Jefferson's 14 

• Recinto, Murphy, and Kaya Burkhart got baskets in the quarter but Post's 12-2 run had them trail Jefferson 27-23 

• Kuczynski's three put the Rams lead back up but the Eagles kept knocking on the Rams door with two more baskets to make it a four-point game again. Carolyn Sipprell hit a jumper alongside Murphy to end the second and go into the break up 35-27 

• Jefferson began to take control of the game in the third, outscoring Post 15-4 points during those 10 minutes. Defense helped in part, earning six steals while having the Eagles go 1-of-13 on the floor 

• The Rams only made four baskets during the first five minutes in the second half as Spratt contributed to four of those points while Murphy and Recinto added two apiece, with both the latter each earning a double double on the day 

• Murphy finished an and-one, Spratt made another basket for six of her 16 points in the quarter, and Nigro hit her shot before the buzzer sound to have Jefferson go into the fourth quarter up 50-31 

• Rams held their momentum into the fourth, scoring 13 points to the Eagles' 6 

• Spratt and Recinto put up four points in the final 10 minutes, with Nigro putting in her own shot in the basket. Kuczynski ended the game with a three-pointer to finish the CACC contest with a 63-37 victory for Jefferson 

TEAM STATS 
FG: 29-of-66 (43.9%) 
3PT: 3-of-10 (30.0%) 
FT: 2-of-3 (66.7%) 

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE 
Cassie Murphy: 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, 2-3 FT, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks 
Emily Spratt: 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 steals 
Gabby Recinto: 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 steals 
Emma Kuczynski: 9 points on 3-of-13 shooting (3-9 3PT), 7 rebounds, 6 steals 
Tori Nigro: 8 points on 4-of-11 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds 

UP NEXT 
Jefferson sits tied at second in the CACC South with Chestnut Hill College, earning the tiebreaker over them as they only trail Holy Family University in the standings. The Rams looks to keep climbing up the division rankings as they travel to Lakewood, N.J. went they take on Georgian Court University on Tuesday, January 28 at 6 p.m.