STANDISH, Maine – Second-seeded Saint Joseph's College (18-8) outlasted #7 Johnson & Wales University (13-13), 59-54, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday night.
With the win, Saint Joseph's advances to the semifinal round of the GNAC tourney for the fifth-consecutive season and will host third-seeded Regis College on Thursday at 6:30 PM. Regis defeated #6 Colby-Sawyer College, 61-48, in other first round action this evening to advance to the GNAC semifinals for the first time in three seasons as a member of the conference.
For Johnson & Wales, the setback signals the end of the 2019-20 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks held at least a share of the lead for the entire contest and were up by as many as 16 points late in the third quarter, but the Wildcats mounted a late run to create an interesting finish.
Trailing 52-40 with 7:11 remaining, JWU outscored SJC by a 14-4 margin during the subsequent five minutes and trailed by two (56-54) after senior center Maddy Moro (Catawissa, Pa.) hit a jump shot with 1:51 on the clock. With 30 seconds left, the Wildcats pulled down a defensive rebound and advanced the ball to midcourt with a timeout.
With a chance to tie or go ahead with one shot, the visitors made a crucial mistake with a turnover via a three-second violation with just six seconds to go. The Monks went 3-for-4 from the FT line in the closing seconds and freshman Bri Jordan (Gray, Maine) blocked a potential game-tying three-point shot to close out the victory.
STATS OF THE GAME:
The Monks outrebounded the Wildcats by a 50-24 margin – including an 18-2 lead on the offensive glass – and held a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint…St. Joe's also held a 20-6 cushion in bench points.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore guard Alyson Fillion (Bedford, N.H.) scored 15 points with six rebounds and three assists
- Senior guard Julia Quinn (Fryeburg, Maine) added 12 points and three assists
- Jordan came off the bench to score 11 points with eight rebounds
- Sophomore guard Grace Philippon (Glenburn, Maine) added seven points and seven boards
- Junior forward Jordan Jabar (Waterville, Maine) chipped in with six points, six caroms, and two assists
- Sophomore guard Kaleigh Walsh (Windham, N.H.) pulled down a game-high nine rebounds
LEADERS – JOHNSON & WALES:
- Senior forward Tera-nay Lee (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored 14 points with three steals, three blocks, and two assists
- Moro added 12 points and seven boards
- Senior guard Tiondra Hands (Boynton Beach, Fla.) contributed 11 points and five assists
- Freshman guard Peyton Ryan (Nashua, N.H.) sparked the Wildcats off the bench with a pair of three-pointers for six total points
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's is now 14-6 in the history of the series with Johnson & Wales and has defeated the Wildcats in seven-consecutive meetings.
