STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (8-6, 2-1 GNAC) toppled Simmons College (2-10, 0-2 GNAC), 74-46, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball contest at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday night. Senior guard Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt.) netted a game-high 20 points, including 18 in the first half, in the one-sided triumph.
The Monks led for the duration and utilized a 24-2 run early in the opening stanza to secure control of the contest. Saint Joseph's went on to claim a game-high 33-point lead later in the first half and carried a 47-22 cushion into intermission.
It was more of the same in the second half, as the Royal Blue fought off an early comeback attempt by the visitors and rolled to the 74-46 victory. Saint Joseph's played well in all facets in the conference win, recording season-highs in rebounds (51), fewest turnovers (14) and blocked shots (6).
For the Monks, junior Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) came off the bench to provide 14 points and 10 rebounds – including seven offensive boards – and freshman Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) tallied 11 points, six caroms and a pair of blocks. Sophomore Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) chipped in 10 points and four steals, junior Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) added eight points and nine boards, and junior Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine) dealt eight assists.
For the Sharks, junior Hannah May (Hamden, Conn.) netted 16 points and sophomore Olivia LaCroix (Manchester, N.H.) contributed 4 points and five rebounds. Senior Liz O'Connor (Milton, Mass.) added seven rebounds and a pair of rejections and junior Georgia Kostopoulos (Cambridge, Mass.) came off the bench to grab six caroms in 15 minutes of playing time.
Overall, Saint Joseph's shot 39.7% (27-68) from the field, 26.3% (5-19) from three-point range, and 78.9% (15-19) from the free throw line. Simmons countered by shooting 27% (17-63) from the floor, 23.5% (4-17) from downtown and 80% (8-10) from the charity stripe in a losing effort.
With the win, Saint Joseph's improves to 5-2 in the history of the series with Simmons College and has now topped the Sharks in three-consecutive meetings dating back to 2011.
The Monks resume action on Thursday with a conference contest at Suffolk University starting at 6:00 PM. The Sharks are off until Saturday when they play at GNAC-rival University of Saint Joseph (CT) in a 1:00 PM tip-off.
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.
