CASTINE, ME – Saint Joseph's College (3-1) defeated Maine Maritime Academy (2-2), 62-51, in a non-conference women's basketball contest on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) led all players with 20 points and 12 rebounds and also recorded seven blocked shots and three assists in the triumph.
The first half featured three lead changes and four tie scores with the Monks, leading 27-25 with 1:50 before the break, netting seven unanswered points to secure a 34-25 cushion heading into intermission. Senior Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) drained a three-pointer and senior Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) connected on a pair of layups in the closing minutes of the opening frame to lift the visitors to the nine-point advantage.
Saint Joseph's led for the entire second stanza but the Mariners managed to cut their deficit down to three points when senior Hanna Lyons (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) picked up a steal and finished a fast-break play with a layup. The effort by Lyons capped an 8-0 Maine Maritime run to make it a 44-41 game with 12:18 remaining.
A two-possession swing remained for the next five minutes, but a three-pointer from freshman Danica Gleason (South Portland, Maine) lifted the Monks to a 52-45 advantage with 7:13 left. Mariners' sophomore Ashley Shine (Springfield, Mo.) countered with a bucket 36 seconds later, but Saint Joseph's proceeded to put the game away with a 10-4 offensive outburst over the final five minutes of play.
The Monks shot an astounding 62.5% (15-24) from the floor in the first half and closed the day with a solid 49% (25-51) effort overall. St. Joe's shot 50% (5-10) from three-point distance and 50% (7-14) from the FT line in the victory.
The Mariners countered by shooting 39.6% (21-53) from the field, 42.9% (6-14) from downtown and 37.5% (3-8) from the charity stripe in a losing effort. Saint Joseph's held advantages in rebounds (39-28), assists (23-16) and points in the paint (36-24) in the triumph.
For Saint Joseph's, Moore scored 14, Young tallied 12 points and seven rebounds, Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine) added six points, eight assists and two steals and Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) added four dimes in 16 minutes off the bench.
For Maine Maritime, Shine came off the pine to net a team-high 16 points with six boards and three steals, junior center Rebekah Campbell (Corinth, Maine) posted 10 points, four caroms and five rejections and senior Leah Jackson (Dedham, Maine) contributed seven points, seven rebounds, nine assists and five steals in the setback.
Saint Joseph's plays at University of Maine-Farmington on Monday at 5:30 PM.
GAME NOTES:
With the win, Saint Joseph's is now 6-4 in the history of the matchup with Maine Maritime Academy…the Monks have defeated the Mariners in three-straight meetings for the first time in the series…the victory is the first for St. Joe's in Castine since a 73-42 win over the Mariners on January 26th, 1999 – the inaugural meeting between the in-state rivals…Cahill's double-double was her first of the season and 12th of her young career…looking ahead – Saint Joseph's is 37-29 all-time versus Maine-Farmington…the Monks have defeated the Beavers in three-consecutive meetings…UMF has not defeated SJC since November of 2006.
Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
