BOSTON, MA – Saint Joseph's (14-6, 8-0 GNAC) cruised past Emerson College (7-14, 4-5 GNAC), 82-46, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball tilt on Tuesday night. Junior guard Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt.) paced the Monks with 15 points in the victory.
Holding a slim 13-12 lead with 11:34 remaining in the first half, Saint Joseph's proceeded to post a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to change the face of the contest. Freshman guard Nicolette Kapothanasis (Westbrook, Maine/Portland) netted five points during the outburst for the Monks, who shot a staggering 62.5% from the field in the first half and carried a 46-21 advantage into halftime.
Six SJC players notched at least nine points in the victory. Senior forward Allie Parent (Camden, Maine) recorded 11 points with four boards, sophomore forward Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) tallied 10 points, three rebounds and two steals, freshman guard Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) added nine points, seven rebounds and five assists, sophomore guard Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine) chipped in with nine points and three dimes, and Kapothanasis contributed nine points, five boards and three assists on the night.
Sophomore forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in the SJC victory.
Kristin Brice paced the Lions with 15 points and Olivia DiNucci added 11 points and six boards in a losing effort. Olivia Connors registered eight points and eight rebounds and Shannon Norton tallied seven points and five assists for the hosts.
Overall, Saint Joseph's shot 55.6% (30-54) from the field, 58.3% (7-12) from downtown, and 78.9% (15-19) from the free throw line while Emerson shot 27.1% (16-59) from the floor and 87.5% (14-16) from the charity stripe in the conference contest. The Lions were hamstrung, at least in part, due to a 0-14 performance from three-point distance in the loss.
The Monks, who have now won 10 of their last 11 contests, doubled-up the Lions on the glass (42-21) and recorded 23 assists on 30 field goals made in the victory. Versus conference opponents, Saint Joseph's currently sits atop the GNAC in field goal percentage (46.7%), free throw percentage (79.3%), three-point success (38.9%), rebounding margin (10.9), personal fouls per game (11.1) and free throws made per game (17.2).
With the win St. Joe's improves to 4-2 in the history of the series with Emerson College and has now defeated the Lions in three consecutive meetings dating back to last season.
Both teams will travel to face conference counterparts for 1:00 PM tip-offs on Saturday as Saint Joseph's plays at Anna Maria College and Emerson takes on Mount Ida College.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
