STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (6-1) held off Bates College (2-4), 71-66, in a non-conference women's basketball game at the Harold Alfond Center on Thursday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Saint Joseph's was in control for the better part of the contest and held a game-high 15-point (46-31) lead after sophomore Julia Champagne (Brunswick, Maine) converted a fast-break layup 1:10 into the third quarter. But the last 15 minutes of play turned into a seesaw battle, as the Bobcats fought back into contention with a 12-2 run that cut the Monks' cushion down to 48-43 with 3:41 left in the third frame.
Momentum seemed to be in the visitors' favor during several stretches of the closing stanza, as the Bobcats drained four shots from beyond the arc in the fourth, including a Nina Davenport (Freeport, Maine) dagger that made it a one-point (67-66) game with 54 seconds left. Fortunately for the Monks, the Davenport trifecta was the Bobcats' final field goal of the game as the Royal Blue made four of six free throws down the stretch to escape with the 71-66 triumph.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore forward Emily Benway (Rochester, N.H.) netted 15 points with six rebounds and three assists while shooting 7-9 from the field
- Sophomore guard Kelsi McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) tallied 13 points with seven assists
- Junior forward Brianne Maloney (South Portland, Maine) came off the bench to score 11 points after shooting 3-5 from the floor and 5-6 from the FT line
- Champagne contributed seven points, five caroms, and four assists
- Sophomore guard Hannah Marks (Waldoboro, Maine) contributed eight points
- Sophomore forward Ayla Tartre (Saco, Maine) connected on both of her shots from downtown for six points
LEADERS – BATES:
- Davenport led all players with 23 points and pulled down eight boards
- Senior guard Bernadette Connors (Windham, N.H.) scored 19 points with seven assists and three rebounds
- Freshman guard Lyse Henshaw (Brunswick, Maine) scored 11 points
NEXT!
Both teams return to action Saturday, when Saint Joseph's hosts Colby College in a 1:00 PM start and Bates plays at Bowdoin College in a 3:00 PM tip-off.
#GOMONKS
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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 474-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.
