STANDISH, Maine - #8/11 Saint Joseph's College (25-0, 12-0 GNAC) skated past Lasell College (7-17, 2-10 GNAC), 90-48, in what was the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball regular season finale for both teams at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks held the momentum from the get-go and held a 12-2 cushion after senior guard Kelsi McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) hit a jumper at the 5:21 mark of the first quarter.
Saint Joseph's led 44-14 at intermission and proceeded to claim a game-high 44-point advantage (86-42) after freshman guard Tia Day (Monmouth, Maine) netted a three-pointer with 3:20 left in the fourth frame.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
Saint Joseph's has clinched the #1 seed in the GNAC Tournament for the fourth-consecutive season and will host #8 Johnson & Wales University in quarterfinal action Tuesday at 6:00 PM.
For Lasell, today's contest marks the end of the 2018-19 campaign.
BEYOND THE BOX:
- The Monks have extended their regular-season winning streak versus GNAC foes to 30 games
- St. Joe's has won 49-consecutive home games
- Saint Joseph's is the first team in GNAC Women's Basketball history to record a perfect regular season; the unblemished slate is also the first-ever in SJC women's basketball history
SENIOR MOMENT:
Prior to the start of the game a brief ceremony was held to honor the Monks' four seniors: McNamara, Emily Benway (Rochester, N.H.), Julia Champagne (Brunswick, Maine), and Hannah Marks (Waldoboro, Maine).
This senior class has played an enormous role in what has been one of the most successful four-year stretches a team has ever recorded at Saint Joseph's College. With these four players on the court, the Monks have posted an incredible 100-13 (.885) overall record, including a 53-2 (.964) mark in conference play, with three conference championships. Benway, Champagne, Marks and McNamara have combined to score 5,173 points with 2,135 rebounds and 1,118 assists in 113 games over the last four seasons.
STATS OF THE GAME:
St. Joe's scored 31 points off 22 Lasell turnovers – conversely, the Lasers tallied just five points on nine Monk miscues…The Monks shot 38.9% (14-36) from three-point distance and 70% (14-20) from the FT line…The Lasers posted percentages of 27.8% (5-18) and 58.3% (7-12) from beyond the arc and the charity stripe, respectively.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Senior guard Julia Champagne (Brunswick, Maine) registered 20 points, six rebounds and three steals and was 8-for-10 from the floor, including a 4-for-6 effort from three-point land
- McNamara tallied 20 points and nine assists
- Senior guard Hannah Marks (Waldoboro, Maine) added 12 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals
- Senior forward Emily Benway (Rochester, N.H.) contributed nine points, 12 rebounds (seven offensive), four assists, and three steals
- Freshman Grace Philippon (Glenburn, Maine) was 6-for-6 from the FT line with 13 points
LEADERS – LASELL:
- Senior guard Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) scored 10 points with seven rebounds and five assists
- Senior guard Taylor Hughey (Redding, Calif.) came off the bench to net nine points off a 3-for-3 three-point shooting effort
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 17-1 all-time versus Lasell College and has now defeated the Lasers in 16-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2005-06 season.