PAXTON, MA – Saint Joseph's College (9-3, 1-0 GNAC) trounced Anna Maria College (6-8, 0-1 GNAC), 74-55, in what was the 2014 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball for both teams on Saturday afternoon. Senior forward Abby Young (North Yarmouth, Maine) scored a game-high 17 points and added five rebounds in the victory.
Saint Joseph's trailed for much of what was a seesaw battle in the first half. With the score tied 21-21 and 5:11 before the break, the Monks mounted an 11-0 run as five different players scored during a two-minute span to lift the visitors to a 32-21 advantage. St. Joe's carried a 36-27 cushion into intermission and led by double digits for the majority of the second stanza.
Much of the Monks' offense came from the free throw line in the latter frame, as the Royal Blue made 17 of 21 attempts from the charity stripe over the closing 20 minutes and shot 86.7% (26-30) from the line in the contest overall.
For the Monks, senior forward Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) recorded 16 points and four rebounds, freshman guard Emily Kehoe (Perkinsville, Vt.) added eight points in 12 minutes off the bench, senior Mackenzie Dufour (Augusta, Maine) and junior Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) contributed seven points apiece and sophomore Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) chipped in with six points and three caroms in the victory.
For the AMCATS, Deja Taitt scored 15 while Trafficia Warburton and Katie Pryor netted 10 points apiece in a losing effort.
Saint Joseph's scored 39 points off 30 Anna Maria turnovers and held sizeable advantages in both second-chance points (18-4) and bench points (41-9) on the afternoon.
The Monks return to action next Saturday when the team hosts GNAC-rival University of Saint Joseph (CT) at 1:00 PM. Anna Maria plays at Albertus Magnus College at 7:00 PM on Tuesday.
GAME NOTES:
Saint Joseph's is now 4-0 all-time versus Anna Maria College…all four victories over the AMCATS have been by at least 13 points, including a 73-46 win in Standish last January…26 free throws is the most freebies made by the Monks this season and highest total since SJC converted 30 from the line in a 71-61 triumph over Johnson & Wales University on January 21st, 2013…UP NEXT: Saint Joseph's is 5-1 in the history of the series with University of Saint Joseph (CT) and defeated the Blue Jays by a 68-48 margin last season.
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.
