DANBURY, CT – Scranton University (9-2) bested Saint Joseph's College (7-3), 72-51, to claim the Hat City Classic Tournament Championship, hosted by Western Connecticut State University, on Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore center Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) led the Monks with 13 points in the loss, while senior forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) netted 12 and Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine), Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) and Danica Gleason (South Portland, Maine) added six points apiece in the invitational tournament championship.

Junior forward Meredith Mesaris (Fairfax, Va.) paced the Lady Royals with 25 points and 12 rebounds while Lindsay Fluehr (Bensalem, Pa.) tallied 14 points, nine assists and five boards and Sarah Payonk (Schwenksville, Pa.) contributed 10 points and 12 caroms in the title bout.

Scranton held Saint Joseph's to one basket in the game's first five minutes, but the Monks fought back to even the score at 7-7 and took an 11-9 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the half. Scranton went on an 11-0 run over the next four minutes and never looked back, as the Lady Royals held a 33-22 lead at the half.

In the second stanza, St. Joe's fought to keep the margin under double digits, but when Scranton claimed an 11-point lead midway through the frame, the Monks were unable to regain any momentum.  Scranton pulled away in the closing minutes for the 21-point triumph.

The Lady Royals held a decisive 48-29 advantage on the glass and scored 23 points off 24 SJC turnovers on the afternoon. Scranton also made 17 of 21 free throw attempts in the victory, while Saint Joseph's made just three trips to the line, making all three, in the losing bid.

In the consolation contest, WCSU dominated the first half to take a 39-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.  The Colonials expanded their lead to 19 points early in the second half, only to see William Paterson close the gap to three points with six minutes remaining in the game.  Western re-grouped and pulled away down the stretch for a final margin of 78-69, good for third place on the weekend.

Final Order of Finish:

Scranton 2-0 (9-2 for the season)

Saint Joseph's 1-1 (7-3)

Western 1-1 (5-5)

William Paterson 0-2 (5-7)

All-Tournament Team:

Meredith Mesaris – Scranton (MVP)

Lia DiSciasio – Scranton

Morgan Cahill – Saint Joseph's

Caroline Brasa – Western

Brittany Ennis – William Paterson

THANKS IN PART TO WCSU SPORTS INFORMATION

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.