MILTON, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (1-0) kicked off the 2019-20 season with a 48-42 victory over the host Colonels (0-1) in the second game of the 2019 Curry College Tip-Off Tournament on Friday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks held a 26-18 lead going into intermission but the Colonels opened the third quarter with a 12-3 run en route to claiming their first lead since the opening minutes of the contest. Saint Joseph's answered in kind with an 11-0 run to take a 40-30 lead heading into the final frame and managed to hold on for the victory in a low-scoring affair.
STATS OF THE GAME:
St. Joe's posted a 48-39 advantage in rebounds with leads in points in the paint (16-10) and second-chance points (10-4) in the triumph. Fouls were also a factor, as two of the Colonels' starters fouled out in the setback.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore Alyson Fillion (Bedford, N.H.) led all scorers with 14 points and added seven rebounds and two steals
- Junior Jordan Jabar (Waterville, Maine) netted 11 points with a game-high eight boards
- Senior Julia Quinn (Fryeburg, Maine) added six points and three assists
- Junior Cassandra Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) chipped in with five points, seven caroms, three steals, and a pair of assists
- Freshman Jayne Howe (Pembroke, Mass.) came off the bench to tally four points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots
LEADERS – CURRY:
- Kaitlynn Smith scored 12 points with three steals and two assists
- Kathryn Dunn added 11 points, seven boards, and three assists
- Katie Smith contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, and four steals
NOTEWORTHY:
Tonight's victory is just the sixth in SJC program history when scoring fewer than 50 points in a game. The last time the Monks won with less than 50 on the board: December 11th, 2010 in a 47-46 triumph over Husson University.
The Monks are now 30-14 (.682), including a 22-5 (.815) mark under Head Coach Mike McDevitt, in season-openers. Including tonight's win, St. Joe's has kicked off each of the last eight seasons with a victory.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the win, Saint Joseph's improves to 5-1 all-time versus Curry College and has now defeated the Colonels in three-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2013-14 season.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will face off against Wellesley College in the Curry College Tip-Off Championship tomorrow at 2:00 PM.