R.I. College Wins USJ Blue Jay Tip-Off Classic

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Tournament Most Valuable Player Devin Hill (Danielson, Conn.) scored 33 points to lead the R.I. College women's basketball team to a 71-45 victory over Western New England University in the Championship Game of the 18th Annual USJ Tip-Off Classic Saturday at the O'Connell Center at the University of Saint Joseph.

R.I. College is 2-0 on the season while Western New England is 1-1. Farmingdale State (1-1) defeated USJ (0-2), 68-59 in the consolation game.

Hill shot 12 for 18 from the floor, made two three-pointers and went 7-for-7 at the free throw line. R.I. led 25-13 after one quarter, 42-21 at halftime and never trailed. Alex Moore (West Newbury, Mass.) had 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Anchorwomen.

Dorothy O'Neill (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored a team-high 18 points for WNE and Chelsea Vujs (Berlin, Conn.) added 12.

Farmingdale State 68, USJ 59: USJ led for nearly 32 minutes, but Farmingdale State erased a 51-40 deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter to win the consolation game. Tyra Harrison (Baldwin, N.Y.) capped a 13-0 run for FSC with a steal and layup to put the Rams up 53-51 with 7:08 to play; their first lead since the first 65 seconds of the game. Stephanie DeJesus (Meriden, Conn.) broke up the streak with a three-pointer as USJ regained the lead at 54-53. But a conventional three-point play by Harrison put FSC back on top and 56-54 with 6:06 remaining and the Rams would not relinquish the lead from that point.

Carlee Putnam (Niantic, Conn.) scored 17 points to lead USJ and Kayla Guest (Newington, Conn.) had 16. Rayjeen Mayo (Middletown, Conn.) had 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Blue Jays.

Harrison led Farmingdale State with 32 points. Marissa Monaco (Bohemia, N.Y.) had 10 points and 13 rebounds and Nailah Cherry (Roosevelt, N.Y.) hauled in 17 rebounds.

All-Tournament Team: Devin Hill, RIC (MVP), Rybecca Gonzalez, RIC; Chelsea Vuja, WNE; Rajeen Mayo, USJ; Tyra Harrison, FSC.