NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Saint Joseph’s Hawks used a dominant first quarter to set the tone and never looked back, defeating the Columbia Lions 66-48 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Thursday afternoon at Levien Gymnasium.

Saint Joseph’s seized control of the game from the opening tip, outscoring Columbia 15-6 in the first quarter. The Hawks’ stifling defense held the Lions without a field goal for nearly the first seven minutes of the game, forcing a series of early turnovers that led to easy baskets. The Hawks extended their lead by outscoring the Lions 16-16 in the second period, taking a 31-22 advantage into halftime.

The Hawks continued to build their lead after the break, winning the third quarter 18-15 and the fourth 17-11 to secure the comfortable victory. The win improved Saint Joseph’s record to 4-1 overall, while Columbia fell to 2-2.

Gabby Casey led all scorers for Saint Joseph’s, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Aleah Snead provided a strong supporting performance with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Rhian Stokes added 14 points and three rebounds.

Columbia was led by Susie Rafiu with 14 points and Perri Page with 12 points. Riley Weiss contributed 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Lions.

The game was ultimately decided by shooting efficiency and ball security. Saint Joseph’s shot 47.8% from the floor, while Columbia struggled to a 33.3% shooting night. A key factor was three-point shooting, where the Hawks connected on four of their 13 attempts, while the Lions went 0 for 14 from beyond the arc. Both teams struggled with turnovers, with Columbia committing 22 and Saint Joseph’s giving the ball away 20 times.

Saint Joseph’s next travels to face Penn on Monday. Columbia will look to rebound at home against Binghamton, also on Monday.