Holt's Hoop Lifts UB Women To Last Second, 53-51, Home Win Over St. Thomas Aquinas

Bridgeport, Conn. - Shannon Holt (Jr., Holden, Mass.) grabbed an offensive rebound and hit the subsequent put-back layup with 1.4 seconds remaining to give the University of Bridgeport women's basketball team a 53-51 East Coast Conference victory in dramatic fashion over the visiting Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College on Thursday evening. The win snaps a seven-game losing streak, and gives UB its first ECC win of the season, upping the team's record to 3-16 overall, and 1-10 in conference. STAC drops to 8-12 on the season and 4-7 in the ECC.

Bridgeport went into the intermission trailing 25-21 but used runs of 7-0 and 13-1 to jump out to the largest lead of the game for either team at 43-31 with 7:37 remaining. Bridgeport would go on to lead the rest of the way until STAC's Sabrina Eggink hit a layup to tie the game up at 51-51 with .23 seconds to play. That basket would set up Bridgeport's final possession with a chance to win the game. The Purple Knights wound up getting three chances to put in the game winning shot, Tiara Aziz (Sr., Easton, Pa.) took two shots for the win, gathering in one of her own misses for a second attempt, however, Holt was there to pull in the rebound and connect on a layup to give UB the victory.

Holt led the way the winners ending just shy of a double-double with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. A trio of Purple Knights notched eight points on the night; seniors Jenna Hoffman (Manchester Center, Vt.) and Casey Bray (Staten Island, N.Y.) along with freshman Morgen Caution (Baltimore, Md.).

Adiya Henderson scored a team-high 12 points for the Spartans.

Next, the Purple Knights will hit the road for a pair of ECC contests; first, stopping in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. to take on the Mavericks of Mercy College on Saturday, January 31 at 12:30 pm, and then traveling to Brookville, N.Y. for a midweek tilt the Pioneers of LIU Post with tip-off set for 5:00 pm. Bridgeport will return home on February 7 to take on the Bears of NYIT at 1:00 pm.