TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for the 1,500-seat venue are available at the door and cost $7 for adults and $4 for students.
COVERAGE:
Live Video: http://www.jumbocast.com
Live Stats: http://www.gomonks.com/sports/wbkb/2016-17/boxscores/20170303_8o57.xml
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Saint Joseph's defeated Emmanuel College, 81-70 in overtime, in the GNAC Championship game at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday. With the victory, the Monks secured their third NCAA Tournament berth in the last four seasons.
Tufts earned one of 20 at-large berths, reserved for institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that did not win their respective conference championship, after falling to #1 Amherst College in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title game last Saturday.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The winner of Friday night's first contest, featuring DeSales University and Husson University, will face either the Monks or Jumbos in a Second Round matchup at Cousens Gymnasium on Saturday.
SEASON AT A GLANCE
Saint Joseph's (RESULTS):
- St. Joe's is 24-0 when scoring 62 points or more this season
- The Monks feature seven players who average at least 6.0 points per game
- Saint Joseph's ranks 21st nationally in three-pointers made with a program-record 204 trifectas through 28 contests
- The four teams who have defeated the Monks own a collective 78-24 (.765) record so far this season
- The Monks enter NCAA tourney play riding a five-game winning streak
Tufts (RESULTS):
- Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Tufts is 58-3 (.951) at home and 113-12 (.904) overall
- The Jumbos rank second nationally in scoring (42.1 PPG), eighth in winning percentage (.926), ninth in turnover margin (7.89), 10th in scoring margin (20.9 PPG), and 11th in opponents' field goal percentage (31.6%)
- Tufts features five players averaging at least 5.9 points per game
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Saint Joseph's (STATS):
- Sophomore guard Kelsi McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.), the 2017 GNAC Player of the Year, leads the Monks in scoring (16.0 PPG), free throws made (85), free throw percentage (80.2%), three-pointers made (76 - SJC season record), three-point percentage (36.9%), assists (134), steals (44), and blocked shots (10)
- Sophomore forward Emily Benway (Rochester, N.H.), a 2017 Second Team All-GNAC honoree, averages 14.0 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds per contest – the highest average by an SJC player in 20 years – and also leads the team in field goal percentage (51.5%, 158-307) and field goals made (158)
- Sophomore guard Julia Champagne (Brunswick, Maine) is an all-around contributor, averaging 8.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest
Tufts (STATS):
- Junior forward Melissa Baptista (Somerville, Mass.), a 2017 First Team All-NESCAC selection, paces the Jumbos in scoring (12.7 PPG), field goals made (136), three-pointers made (37), three-point percentage (37.4), and blocked shots (47)
- Senior Michela North (Duxbury, Mass.), a 6'2 post player, is second on the team in scoring (11.1 PPG) and leads her team in field goal percentage (48.8%) and rebounding (6.9 RPG)
- Junior point guard Lauren Dillon (Wellesley, Mass.), the 2017 NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, averages 6.0 PPG and ranks as the Jumbos' leader in assists (105) and steals
ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:
Saint Joseph's: Mike McDevitt '83 (500-190, .725) - 25th collegiate season (BIO)
Among the most successful coaches in all of NCAA DIII Women's Basketball, McDevitt ranks 20th among active coaches in both winning percentage and victories. Only three coaches in New England have more wins and four have a higher win rate.
During his tenure at Saint Joseph's, Coach McDevitt has guided the Monks to at least 20 wins in 16 different seasons, the ninth-highest total in the history of NCAA DIII Women's Basketball. During his career, McDevitt has garnered nine Coach of the Year accolades, including the GNAC honor in 2014 and 2016, with 11 conference titles.
Tufts: Carla Berube (325-87, .789) – 15th collegiate season (BIO)
Carla Berube, who was presented the Pat Summitt Trophy as the 2015 United States Marine Corps / Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year, has guided Tufts into the NCAA "Final Four" in three consecutive seasons (2014-16), including last year's appearance in the national championship game (63-51 loss to Thomas More College).
Berube was the WBCA's NCAA Division III Regional Coach of the Year for the three consecutive seasons from 2013-15, and repeated as D3hoops.com Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2014-15. She was also selected by the WBCA as the New England Coach of the Year for the 2007-08 season, giving her four of those honors overall.
A 1997 UConn graduate, Coach Berube was a member of the 1995 NCAA Division I national championship team. She played professionally in the American Basketball League before getting into coaching as an assistant at Providence College. She was hired at Tufts in 2002.
THE LAST TIME WE MET (BOX):
These two teams last played on March 7th, 2014, when Tufts defeated Saint Joseph's, 66-43, in the first round of the 2014 NCAA DIII Tournament at Cousens Gymnasium.
Making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Monks maintained pace for the better part of the first half and trailed by three (20-17) with 5:24 before the break. The visitors' deficit grew quickly however; as the Jumbos proceeded to outscore Saint Joseph's by an 18-4 margin for the remainder of the opening frame and carried a 38-21 cushion into intermission.
SJC captains Emily Kehoe (Perkinsville, Vt.) and Abbie Eastman (Norway, Maine) both played significant minutes in the loss to Tufts three years ago.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's is 0-2 all-time versus Tufts University, as the Monks suffered a 76-45 setback at the hands of the Jumbos on December 2nd, 2011.
The two programs have faced four common opponents this season – University of New England, Colby College, Emmanuel College, and Bates College. The Jumbos went 4-0 against this collection of New England foes, while the Monks were 4-1 versus the group.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
The Monks will be making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years. Saint Joseph's lost to Christopher Newport in the opening round last winter.
Tufts has advanced to the NCAA "Final Four" in three consecutive seasons (2014-16), including last year's appearance in the national championship game. Over the last 15 years, the Jumbos have earned nine NCAA berths overall and has a 22-10 record in those games (.688 winning percentage).
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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.
