NEWTON, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (4-1, 1-0 GNAC) kicked off Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a convincing 72-36 victory over Lasell College (2-4, 0-1 GNAC) on Thursday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

In control from the start, the Monks opened the contest with 21 unanswered points and held a 26-3 advantage after making 11 of 15 shots in the first quarter. The Lasers sank just one bucket in 13 tries in the opening frame and faced a 42-9 deficit heading into intermission. Overall, Saint Joseph's nearly doubled Lasell in shooting percentage as well with a 49.1% mark compared to the 25% rate posted by the hosts.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Sophomore guard Julia Champagne (Brunswick, Maine) registered her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds
• Sophomore forward Emily Benway (Rochester, N.H.) also posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards
• Senior guard Abbie Eastman (Norway, Maine) rounded out the Monks' quintet of double-digit scorers with 13 points while making four of six shots
• Sophomore guard Hannah Marks (Waldoboro, Maine) added five points and five caroms
• Sophomore forward Ayla Tartre (Saco, Maine) pulled down six rebounds

LEADERS – LASELL:

• Junior guard Morgan Church (New London, N.H.) paced the Lasers with 12 points
• Freshman forward Dana Ross (East Haven, Conn.) came off the bench to net 10 points over 14 minutes

NOTEWORTHY:

• Benway and Champagne comprise the first SJC duo to notch double-doubles in the same game since Benway and Morgan Cahill '16 achieved the same feat in a win over Thomas College on January 20th, 2016
• In tonight's triumph, Saint Joseph's posted season-highs in FG% (49.1%), 3FG% (50%), FT% (76.9%), and rebounds (54)

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the win, Saint Joseph's is now 13-1 all-time versus Lasell College...the Monks have defeated the Lasers in 12-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2005-06 season...St. Joe's allowed just nine points in the first half, marking the third time in the last seven years that an SJC opponent has scored as few as nine in a half.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's hosts Albertus Magnus College Saturday at 1:00 PM while Lasell is off until next Tuesday when the team hosts Plymouth State University in a 7:00 PM start.

#GOMONKS 

Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!

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 474-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.