Minato Leads Women’s Basketball Past St. Francis

Tuesday, December 8

Brooklyn Heights, N.Y.

7 PM

Army West Point

(7-1,0-0)

St. Francis Brooklyn

(1-6,0-0)

ARMY

St. Francis Brooklyn

Minato Leads Women’s Basketball Past St. Francis

December 08, 2015 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – The Army West Point women's basketball team used a hot shooting night to pick up its fourth straight win, defeating St. Francis Brooklyn, 74-35, on Tuesday evening at the Pope Physical Education Center.

Army, which received a vote in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll, improves to 7-1, while St. Francis Brooklyn falls to 1-6.

Senior Kelsey Minato scored a season-best 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting and 8-of-13 three-point shooting, while also finishing with five rebounds. Her eight triples matched her own program record that she set twice last season. Minato also moved within three points of the 2,000-point plateau, increasing her team career scoring record to 1,997 points.

As a team, the Black Knights were 12-of-24 from deep, coming one three-pointer shy of the team record that was set at Boston University on Jan. 29, 2015. Army also at least 50.0 percent from the floor for the second game in a row, as it it 51.9 percent (28-of-54) of its attempts.

Senior Aimee Oertner nearly reached a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore Janae McNeal and freshman Izzy McMahon each finished with eight points, with McMahon's total a career high.

Leah Fechko paced St. Francis Brooklyn with 17 points and eight rebounds on the evening.

Army opened up an early 6-2 advantage that included a fast-break lay-up from Minato with 6:43 remaining in the first period. Minato's lay-in was created after the senior guard stole a St. Francis Brooklyn pass at midcourt.

The Black Knights held the Terriers to an 0-of-9 shooting performance from the field during the first frame, but the hosts converted 5-of-6 attempts from the free-throw line to make the score 7-5 with 3:59 to play in the opening quarter.

Army used a 14-2 run that extended over a 4:14 span and into the second period to build its lead to 14, 21-7, by the 8:37 mark of the second stanza. The run included a trio of three-pointers, with Minato sinking a pair and sophomore Destinee Morris hitting one.

Fechko knocked in two three-pointers during a 6-2 scoring spurt by St. Francis Brooklyn that made the score 23-13 with 6:49 on the clock in the first half before Army closed the period on a 14-4 run that built its halftime lead to 20 points, 37-17.

Army shot 4-of-6 from beyond the arc during the 6:28 stretch, with McMahon and Minato contributing all 14 points for the Black Knights. Minato went 2-of-2 from long range while McMahon shot 2-of-4 from three-point distance and also converted a lay-in.

Minato scored five points during a 9-0 run to begin the third period before Army extended its run to 13-2 to move out to a 50-19 advantage with 2:39 on the clock, following a free-throw from sophomore Dani Failor. Prior to Failor's foul shot, Oertner went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe and collected her own rebound on her second free-throw attempt and converted a lay-up.

Fechko scored the final five points of the third period as the Terriers ended the quarter on a 6-2 run to make the score 52-25 at the end of three.

Minato started a perfect 4-of-4 from long range to begin the fourth quarter, as she helped the Black Knights build their advantage to 64-27 after 2:27 of action in the final frame.

Army outscored St. Francis Brooklyn, 10-8, during the game's final 7:02.

Army returns to competition after two days off, as it faces NJIT in Newark, N.J., on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES: Minato netted 30 points for the first time this year to move her career point total to 1,997 … Minato also hit eight threes to match her own Academy record … Army improves to 12-2 all-time versus St. Francis Brooklyn … McMahon scored a career-best eight points … sophomore Daizjah Morris made her first start of the season after starting 14 times in 2014-15 … freshmen Ellen Dougherty and Jess Lewis made their respective career debuts … junior Alex Elzinga also appeared in a game for the first time this year.