Basketball Loses to Worcester State, 70-63

PAXTON, Mass. – The University of Saint Joseph basketball team came up on the short end of a 70-63 score against Worcester State Tuesday night in a non-conference game at the Fuller Activities Center at Anna Maria College.

Worcester State improved to 3-3 on the season; USJ is 0-5.

Senior guard Stephanie DeJesus (Meriden, Conn.), scored a game-high 17 points to lead St. Joseph. Rajeen Mayo (Middletown, Conn.) scored 15 points, Carlee Putnam (Niantic, Conn.) 14 and Kayla Guest (Newington, Conn.) 12 for the Blue Jays. Putnam had a game-high six assists and three steals on the evening and Xiana Mebane (East Hartford, Conn.) had seven rebounds.

Worcester State freshman Britt Herring (W. Brookfield, Mass.) led the Lancers with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

USJ trailed 14-12 after one quarter and trailed by four in the final minute of the half. But DeJesus had a conventional three-point play with 37 seconds left in the second quarter and Mayo made a layup with eight seconds left to put USJ up 31-30 at intermission.

Worcester State scored the first two baskets of the third quarter, would not trail again and outscored USJ 19-11 in the quarter to lead 49-42 after three. The Blue Jays, however, scrapped back to tie the game at 56 on a three-pointer by Putnam with 5:13 to play and again at 61 on a DeJesus three-pointer with 3:06 left. But two WSC baskets on its next two possessions and four free throws in the final 68 seconds allowed the Lancers to earn the win.

USJ next plays at Wesleyan in a non-conference game, Sunday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.