WEST HARTFORD, CT – Saint Joseph's College (12-7, 6-2 GNAC) defeated University of Saint Joseph (10-6, 3-3 GNAC), 68-48, in GNAC women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon. Freshman center Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds in the convincing conference win.

The Monks never trailed, but a closely-contested first half resulted in the visitors owning a slim 26-23 lead going into intermission. The Blue Jays remained within striking distance for a good portion of the second stanza and trailed by three (40-37) with 11:57 remaining. But the Monks slowly edged away from there, as a 19-6 run over the next seven-plus minutes put the Royal Blue ahead by a 59-43 margin with 4:17 remaining.

For the Monks, senior guard Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt.) recorded 15 points and four steals, junior forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) registered 10 points, eight boards, four steals and three assists and sophomore guard Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) came off the bench to provide eight points, six caroms and three steals.

Junior forward Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) added five points, 10 rebounds and three assists while Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) and Skyler Makkinje (Hillsboro, N.H.) chipped in six points apiece in the triumph.

For the Blue Jays, Heather Framski (Prospect, Conn.) recorded 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots and Mary Hyde (Derby, Conn.) tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a losing effort.

Overall, Saint Joseph's shot 41.5% (27-65) from the field, 18.2% (2-11) from three-point land and 63.2% (12-19) from the free throw line while University of Saint Joseph shot 30.9% (21-68) from the floor, 20% (4-20) from downtown and 66.7% (2-3) from the line on the afternoon.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 5-1 in the history of the series with University of Saint Joseph.

Saint Joseph's hosts Bates College in a non-conference contest slated to start at 7:00 PM on Tuesday while the University of Saint Joseph plays at Pine Manor College on Monday at 7:00 PM.

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.