STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (6-2) outlasted Framingham State University (5-5), 69-57, in a non-conference women's basketball contest at the Harold AlfondHarold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon. Senior point guard Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine) netted a career-high 15 points and was 10-13 from the free throw line in the Monks' victory.
In a first half that featured 10 lead changes and five tie scores, Saint Joseph's managed to secure the advantage for good when Dufour scored a layup off a Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) assist to make it a 27-26 game with 3:49 before the break. Dufour's bucket ignited a 10-0 run to close out the opening frame, a surge that provided the hosts with a 35-26 cushion heading into intermission.
St. Joe's went on to lead by as many as 15 points in the second stanza, as a Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) bucket lifted the Royal Blue to a 48-33 margin with 13:25 remaining in the contest. The cushion quickly dissipated however, as the visiting-Rams answered with an 18-7 outburst – capped by a pair of three-pointers from senior guard Kristen Hoffman (Foxboro, Mass.) – to make it a four-point (55-51) game with 7:04 on the clock.
Junior guard Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) hit a long jumper from the top of the key on the Monks' following possession and the hosts led by at least six points for the remainder of the contest, due in large part to an impressive 9-11 free-throw shooting performance in the closing minutes.
For the Monks, Cahill netted her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, senior Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Mass.) added 12 points, seven boards and a pair of steals and Moore contributed seven points, five caroms and four assists. A pair of freshmen also logged valuable minutes, as Danica Gleason (South Portland, Maine) tallied six points and three rebounds and Abbie Eastman (Norway, Maine) chipped in four points, four boards and four assists in the victory.
For the Rams, Hoffman scored a game-high 17 points with five rebounds and six steals, junior Katelyn Iafolla (Franklin, Mass.) added nine points while juniors Nicole Bostic (Easton, Mass.) and Samantha Irvine (Franklin, Mass.) contributed eight points apiece in the losing effort.
As far as team shooting efforts, Saint Joseph's shot 41.5% (22-53) from the field, 20.8% (5-24) from three-point range and 74.1% (20-27) from the free throw line while Framingham State shot 36.5% (19-52) from the floor, 31.8% (7-22) from downtown and 60% (12-20) from the stripe.
The Monks held a commanding 44-25 advantage on the glass and produced 17 assists on 22 field goals on the afternoon.
Today's contest was the final action of the 2013 calendar year for both programs, as the Monks return to the hardwood on January 3rd with the first of two contests in the Hat City Classic Tournament at Western Connecticut State University while the Rams play host to Albertus Magnus College on January 6th.
GAME NOTES:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 2-3 in the history of the series with Framingham State...the win over the Rams is the Monks' first since 2003 when SJC tipped FSU by a 62-60 margin in the first-ever meeting between the New England programs…Saint Joseph's is now 121-54 all-time against opponents from Massachusetts and 10-8 versus Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) foes.
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.
