Box Score

Brooklyn, NY (Jan. 3, 2013) – St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn sophomore Samantha Retas posted a career-high 31 points and helped the Golden Eagles hold off a late surge from Purchase College to take a 70-65 victory at Brooklyn Technical High School on Thursday night.

St. Joseph's (6-6) reaches the .500 mark for the first time this season, winning their second straight, while Purchase (5-7) has its four-game win streak come to an end.

Retas recorded her seventh double-double of the season, pulling down a career-high-tying 15 rebounds. The sophomore also swatted away a career-best four shots, helping the Lady Bears reach double-digit blocks (10) for the second-straight game. Teresa Mangan added 14 points and six rebounds

For Purchase, Jessica Biggs (SR/Nanuet, NY) led four Panthers in double-figures with 17 points in her Purchase debut, hitting five 3-pointers, including three in a last-minute rally that brought the Panthers within four. Center Elizabeth Osowiecki (FR/Franklin Square, NY) and forward Talia Beaulieu (SR/Waldorf, MD) each finished with near double-doubles, grabbing a team-high nine boards each and chipping in 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Purchase took the early lead, but a trifecta from Mangan five minutes in gave St. Joseph's a 9-8 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Lady Bears raced out to a 46-32 halftime advantage on the strength of 58 percent (18 of 31) first-half shooting – 46 points the most scored by St. Joseph's in a half this season – Retas leading the way with 17 points on a crisp 6 of 7.

St. Joseph's faltered early in the second with poor shooting and several turnovers. A five-minute scoring drought allowed Purchase to get out on a 9-0 run that clipped the lead to six, 48-42.

But Retas took over and ended the drought with a layup and proceeded to score 10-of-the-next-14 Lady Bears' points – mostly on layups cutting to the basket – that pushed the lead back to double-figures, 62-49 with under five minutes to play.

But Purchase made a late run with full-court pressure forcing three turnovers and Biggs making the Lady Bears pay with three triples
sandwiched around a pair of Beaulieu free throws that pulled Purchase within four, 69-65, with 18 seconds to play.

Biggs then swiped a steal in the backcourt on the ensuing Lady Bears possession, but couldn't capitalize; missing a layup. SJC-BKLN then went 1-for-2 at the line to stave off the Purchase comeback bid.

-SJC-BKLYN Sports Information Contributed to this report