MILTON, MA – Saint Joseph's College (2-0) defeated Curry College (1-1), 68-55, in the Curry College Women's Basketball Tip-Off Tournament Championship on Saturday afternoon. Senior forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and five steals in the victory.
The host-Colonels, who led by as many as nine points partway through the first half, held the lead for the entire opening period and nearly seven minutes of the second frame. The Monks would not secure their first advantage until 6:35 had expired in the second half, as junior guard Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) pilfered a loose ball, was fouled, and made both freebies to lift the Monks to a 46-45 edge with 13:25 remaining.
Curry maintained at worst a two-possession deficit for the following 10 minutes until Saint Joseph's senior Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) converted a layup off an offensive board to lift her team to a 61-53 cushion with 3:31 to play. Freshman forward Molly Mack (Portland, Maine/McAuley) made the Hendrix bucket possible with a steal 17 seconds earlier.
The Monks, who scored 22 of the game's final 33 points, proceeded to secure their first double-digit advantage of the afternoon when Moore drained a field goal off an Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) pass with 2:48 left. Saint Joseph's registered its largest lead of the day when senior point guard Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine) drilled a pair of free throws, accounting for the 68-55 final, with 27 seconds on the clock.
Free throws proved to be a major factor in the contest, as the Monks made 20 freebies – 10 in each half – while the Colonels converted just eight from the stripe and went to the line just twice – missing both – in the second stanza.
Overall, Saint Joseph's shot 39.7% (23-58) from the floor, 25% (2-8) from three-point range and 76.9% (20-26) from the free throw line. Curry countered by shooting 39.6% (21-53) from the field, 31.3% (5-16) from downtown and 66.7% (8-12) from the charity stripe.
The Monks held advantages in rebounds (41-31) – including a 14-8 lead on the offensive glass, steals (16-8) and turnovers (18-26) in the victory.
For Saint Joseph's, Young registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, sophomore center Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) posted 11 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots and Assante contributed seven points off a 5-5 free-throw shooting performance with four steals. Dufour chipped in with five points, five boards and a pair of steals, Hendrix added six points, three caroms and a pair of assists and senior guard Skyler Makkinje (Hillsboro, N.H.) dealt a team-high three assists and pulled down three rebounds in the victory.
Curry was led by junior Kylie Beltz (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) with a team-best 19 points, while sophomore Shannon Griffith (West Hartford, Conn.) pulled down game-high 10 rebounds.
Moore and Cahill garnered All-Tournament recognition for their efforts over the Monks' two contests, while Kylie Beltz (Curry), Ashley Assarian (Curry), Camaryn Buckner (St. John Fisher) and Sarah McDonald (Southern Vermont) were also honored.
Saint Joseph's returns to the hardwood on Thursday when the Monks host Husson University at 5:30 PM.
GAME NOTES:
The invitational tournament title is the first for the women's basketball program since the Monks defeated Green Mountain College, 78-50, at the Harold Alfond Center on December 5th, 2009 to win the Merry Monk Classic Championship…Saint Joseph's is now 3-1 in the history of the series with Curry College…today's victory avenges a 60-53 loss at the hands of the Colonels in the 2010 Curry College Tip-Off Championship…the Monks are now 92-25 (.786) all-time versus Commonwealth Coast Conference opponents and own a 120-54 (.690) record against foes hailing from Massachusetts…Saint Joseph's is off to a 2-0 start for the third-consecutive season and the 15th time in program history overall…Moore tied a career-high with five steals in today's triumph…freshman Abbie Eastman (Norway, Maine) scored her first NCAA points when she knocked down a three with 9:48 left in the second half…Mack also netted her first collegiate points when she made a pair of free throws with 11:34 remaining in the first period.
Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
