STANDISH, ME - Monks senior center Ashley Geel (St. George, Maine) became the 20th player in program history to amass 1,000 career points in a Saint Joseph's (16-6, 10-0 GNAC) 88-39 victory over Pine Manor College (7-13, 1-10 GNAC) at the Alfond Center on Tuesday night.
Sixteen points shy of the milestone entering tonight's contest, Geel reached the landmark tally at the 11:07 mark of the second half when she made a layup off a pass from classmate Megan McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine). She is the first SJC women's basketball player to reach the 1,000-point plateau since former teammate Carolyn Freeman '10 hit the mark during the 2009-10 campaign.
Geel capped the contest with her fifth double-double of the season – and 14th of her career – with 16 points and 10 rebounds. She also recorded a pair of blocked shots in the win and is now tied with former men's standout Tom Ollman '88 for the all-time SJC basketball (both genders) career rejections record with 190 swats.
Not to be lost in the well-deserved hoopla surrounding Geel's impressive accomplishment is the performance posted by sophomore forward Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine), who notched her second career double-double with a personal-best 25 points and 10 caroms in the victory. The up and coming post player was a nearly-flawless 11-14 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line on the night.
Saint Joseph's was sluggish out of the gate and trailed 5-4 after Pine Manor senior guard Therline Dumeran (Cambridge, Mass.) scored a layup 3:30 into the game. The Monks responded with 13 unanswered points over a four-minute span and held a convincing 17-5 advantage after freshman guard Nicolette Kapothanasis (Westbrook, Maine/Portland) knocked down a three pointer at the 11:12 mark.
Leading 28-14 with 5:41 remaining in the opening half, the hosts went on to outscore the visitors by a 17-7 margin and carried a 45-21 cushion into intermission. Young netted 10 of the Monks' 17 points during the late-half surge.
Unfortunately for the Gators, the second half featured more of the same as the Monks methodically extended their lead to a game-high 49 points at the final buzzer. St. Joe's shot a staggering 63% (17-27) from the field in the latter stanza while Pine Manor posted an 18.5% (5-27) success rate from the floor in the closing 20 minutes.
Saint Joseph's Head Coach Mike McDevitt '83 immediately called a timeout after Geel scored her 1,000th point and a brief announcement was made in recognition of the accomplishment. A fan favorite during her four years on the hardwood, Geel received a long ovation from the Royal Blue faithful.
For the Monks, junior forward Alyssa Grigware (Biddeford, Maine) tied a career-high with 14 points and added six boards and three steals, sophomore forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) registered 12 points and nine rebounds, McDevitt chipped in with 11 points, and senior forward Allie Parent (Camden, Maine) dealt a game-high seven assists in the conference triumph.
Dumeran (Cambridge, Mass.) paced the Gators with 11 points and went 5-6 from the FT line while sophomore guard Ashley Carusone (Nashua, N.H.) contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and three steals in a losing effort.
With the win, St. Joe's improves to 7-2 in the history of the series with Pine Manor College. The Monks have now defeated the Gators in seven consecutive meetings dating back to the 1989-90 season. St. Joe's has not scored as many as 88 points in the series since the Royal Blue recorded a 114-53 victory over Pine Manor on January 25th, 1990, the date the current win streak versus the Gators began.
The Monks' 88 points in tonight's triumph is the most the team has ever scored in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest. St. Joe's has played 59 (40-19) GNAC games since joining the league in 2007.
During halftime a cermony was held in recognition of Faculty Appreciation Night. Faculty members in attendance were called to center court and recognized for their support of SJC Athletics. Two individuals received special mention - Sue "Doc" Kelly, Head of the Physical Education Department and SJC Athletics Faculty Representative who is retiring at the end of this academic year, and David Roussel, Associate Dean of the College and former SJC coach and athletic director who is leaving next month to become the Athletic Director at Thomas College.
Saint Joseph's will host Rivier College (16-6, 10-1 GNAC) on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM. A ceremony honoring the team's three seniors will be held prior to tip-off as the tilt is the Monks' 2010-11 regular-season home finale. The team will also host Play4Kay: Kay You Cancer Fund and Breast Cancer Awareness festivities when facing the Raiders on Saturday.
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.
