LAKE WALES, FL – Warner University (4-7) defeated Saint Joseph's College (5-4), 62-59, in overtime in a Holiday Inn Express Invitational Tournament contest on Friday evening. Junior forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) scored 22 points off an 11-14 shooting effort and pulled down seven rebounds in the losing effort.
The first half was tightly contested, as the first-time rivals battled through five lead changes and four tie scores before the half. Boosted by an 8-2 run during the closing minutes of the opening half, Warner carried a 30-22 advantage into intermission.
The Monks rallied out of the gates in the second stanza, as junior guard Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine) drained a pair of three-pointers in a matter of 50 seconds to knot the contest at 34-apiece with 16:50 remaining in regulation.
Saint Joseph's went on to hold at least a share of the lead for the rest of the second half and earned a game-high seven-point cushion when Moore hit a jumper at the 5:25 mark to lift the visitors to a 53-46 edge. A pair of Dufour free-throws provided the Royal Blue with a 55-52 advantage with 35 seconds on the game clock, but the slim lead would not last as Eliana Albert made a freebie 22 seconds later and Allison Porter hit a jumper in the waning seconds to force extra play.
After a short breather, the tired teams hit the court for a five-minute overtime period and the exhaustion showed early, as the faraway foes combined to go 0-7 from the floor while committing three turnovers in the first 2:26 of extra play. Moore ended the OT drought with a bucket off a Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) assist to put the Monks on top, 57-55.
Unfortunately, Moore's shot was the only one made by St. Joe's in overtime and half of the visitors' production overall, as Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt.) made two freebies nearly 80 seconds later to account for the Monks' four-point OT output. The Royals fared little better from the field, but did just enough to pull out the victory, as Brooke Garmon netted five points and Porter added a bucket in the hosts' narrow triumph.
For the Monks, Dufour tallied 11 points, three assists, three steals and three caroms, Cahill added eight points and six rebounds, and Shufelt contributed seven points with six assists in the loss.
The Monks close out their two-game southern swing with a game versus Webber International University in Babson Park, Florida. Tip-off is set for 3:00 PM.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
