STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (20-4, 14-2 GNAC) toppled Lasell University (9-13, 7-11 GNAC), 89-28, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball action on Mike McDevitt Court at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, Head Coach Mike McDevitt '83 hit a major milestone by becoming the 24th coach in NCAA DIII Women's Basketball history to reach the 600-victory mark. Now in his 30th season (29 at SJC), McDevitt owns a 600-209 (.742) career record and is one of just 12 active coaches to have reached the landmark.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
With the 2021-22 regular season in the books, Saint Joseph's has earned the #3 seed in the GNAC Tournament and will host the winner of the #11 Anna Maria / #6 Rivier first-round matchup on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
Lasell has claimed the #9 seed and will play at #8 Norwich in a first-round tilt on Tuesday at 5:00 PM.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks took control from the get-go by opening the contest with a 10-0 run, which included six points from senior guard Grace Philippon (Glenburn, Maine), and extended the lead to 20-3 with 2:43 left in the first quarter.
Leading 28-7 after the first frame, the hosts shot 62.5% (5-8) from three-point distance in the second stanza and headed into intermission with a commanding 47-19 advantage.
Saint Joseph's outscored Lasell by a 24-2 margin and held the Lasers without a field goal (0-14) in the third period to put the game completely out of reach.
SENIOR MOMENT:
Prior to the game, Saint Joseph's held a brief ceremony to honor the program's four seniors and their families. Seniors Alyson Fillion (Bedford, N.H.), Grace Philippon (Glenburn, Maine), Cassandra Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) and Kaleigh Walsh (Windham, N.H.) have helped the Monks post a 72-16 (.818) overall record with a 39-4 (.907) mark in conference play over the last four seasons.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Philippon scored a career-high 20 points off an 8-for-11 shooting performance and added six rebounds and two assists in the win
- Stapelfeld contributed 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists
- Walsh tallied 13 points, four boards, and three assists
- Sophomore guard Hailey Anderson (Beverly, Mass.) chipped in with 10 points and two rebounds
- Sophomore guard Angelica Hurley (Groveland, Mass.) pulled down 11 rebounds and netted seven points with three assists
- Junior forward Jayne Howe (Pembroke, Mass.) added six points, six assists, five rebounds, and four blocked shots
- Sophomore guard Hannah Talon (Windham, Maine) came off the bench to score nine points
LEADERS – LASELL:
- Graduate Peyton Young (Douglas, Mass.) paced the visitors with 12 points
- Freshman guard Jasmine DePina (Providence, R.I.) added five points, four rebounds, and three steals
- Senior guard Marie Zampano (North Branford, Conn.) chipped in with five points, three boards, and three steals
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 19-1 all-time versus Lasell University and has now defeated the Lasers in 18-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2005-06 campaign.
