DANBURY, CT – Saint Joseph's College (7-2) defeated Western Connecticut State University (4-5), 60-41, in the opening contest of the WCSU Hat City Classic Tournament on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore center Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) posted a double-double with game-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds in the decisive triumph.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's will face University of Scranton - which defeated William Paterson University, 81-60, in today's late game - in the tournament championship tomorrow at 4:00 PM. WCSU takes on William Paterson in the tourney consolation contest at 2:00 PM on Sunday.
Save for a brief spell early in the second half, the Monks held a lead for the vast majority of the non-conference contest and utilized a 14-2 offensive outburst late in the latter stanza to put the game out of reach. Saint Joseph's held a considerable 47-32 rebounding advantage and made 18 free throws, compared to the Colonials' 3-9 effort from the FT line, in the 19-point win.
The Monks opened with a 9-2 run over the opening 5:41 of play and carried a slim 21-18 edge into intermission. Senior forward Sciarra Brandt (Thomaston, Conn.) lifted the Colonials to their first lead of the game when she hit a jumpshot to make it a 23-22 contest 2:36 into the second stanza.
WCSU followed with a Colleen Cosker (East Hartford, Conn.) layup less than a minute later to attain a 25-22 cushion, but freshman guard Abbie Eastman (Norway, Maine) drained a three-pointer at the 15:20 mark to knot the game and hit another trifecta 1:06 later to put the Royal Blue on top to stay.
Leading 35-31 with 10:15 remaining, Cahill ignited the aforementioned 14-2 run with a layup and accounted for 10 points during the surge, which she capped herself with a jumpshot nearly seven minutes later to provide the Monks with a 49-33 cushion.
For the Monks, senior forward Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) tallied 12 points, four assists and a pair of rebounds, senior forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) added four points, nine boards and two steals, senior forward Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) contributed eight caroms and junior guard Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) chipped in with four points and five assists in the victory.
Junior guard Caroline Brasa (East Hartford, Conn.) paced the Colonials with 15 points in a losing effort.
GAME NOTES:
Saint Joseph's is now 1-1 all-time against Western Connecticut State…the Monks had not faced the Colonials since December 5th, 1993 when WCSU edged SJC by a 57-56 score in Danbury…for Cahill, the double-double counts as her fourth of the season and 15th of her young career, which spans just 36 contests…the sophomore post player also surpassed the 500-point plateau in the victory and now has 508 career points…Sunday's contest will be the first in SJC Athletics history versus the University of Scranton, a team that earned an NCAA Tournament berth last season for the 26th time in program history.
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.
