Blue Jays Suffer Setback At Emmanuel Wednesday Night, 72-55

BOSTON – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team suffered a setback on the road at Emmanuel College (Emmanuel), 72-55, on Wednesday night inside the Jean Yawkey Center in Boston. Junior forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) paced USJ with a game-high 18 points. With the result, the Blue Jays fall to 14-9 overall and 10-6 in the GNAC, while the Saints move to 17-5 overall with a 12-2 mark in conference play. 

GAME INFORMATION 
Score: USJ 55, Emmanuel 72
Records: USJ (14-9, 10-6 GNAC), Emmanuel (17-5, 12-2 GNAC)
Location: Jean Yawkey Center (Boston, Mass.)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Emmanuel started the game strong, jumping out on a 6-0 run to take an early edge inside the opening two minutes. Ouellette put an end to the stretch, knocking down a jumper to cut the gap to 6-2 at the 8:10 mark. The Saints would continue their strong start, using a 4-0 stretch to increase the gap to seven, until Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) made a jumper of her own, bringing the Blue Jays back within five, 9-4, with 4:33 left in the first. Emmanuel continued to dominate the first using another big stretch to establish a double-digit lead, 20-6, with 1:23 left in the quarter. USJ would fight back though, closing the first on a 4-0 stretch, featuring two buckers from Ouellette to get within 10, 20-10, entering the second quarter.

The Saints carried their momentum into the second quarter, using another big run to increase the gap to 18, 28-10, at the 8:01 mark. Jelly Frigo (Canton, Conn.) put a halt to the stretch, turning defense into offense by picking off a pass before finishing at the other end to bring the score to 28-12 with 6:45 left in the half. Amanda Fudge (Middletown, Conn.) kept the momentum rolling for the Blue Jays, driving to the bucket before knocking down a floating jumpshot inside the lane to bring the score to 28-14. USJ continued to fight, as a 6-2 run, highlighted by four points from Olivia Heslin (Plainville, Conn.) forced Emmanuel to call a timeout, leading 31-20 with 3:18 left in the first half. Jordan Farrell (West Hartford, Conn.) kept the Blue Jays momentum going, bringing the visitors back within single digits, 31-22, after a jumper in transition at the 3:03 mark. The Saints would reestablish a double-digit lead though, ending the half on a 5-2 run, holding a 39-26 edge after the second quarter.

Emmanuel increased the gap to 20 points after an 8-0 stretch saw the hosts lead, 47-26 at the 8:14 mark. Ouellette would put a stop to the run, but another 4-0 stretch reestablished a 23-point edge for the Saints, 51-28. Ouellette continued to power the USJ offense, making two tough buckets, fueling a 4-0 run that brought USJ within 19, 51-32, forcing an Emmanuel timeout with 6:12 left in the third. Emmanuel though quickly responded, retaking a 21-point lead, and forcing USJ into calling a timeout, down 55-34, with 2:18 on the clock. The Saints maintained their 21-point lead, entering the fourth quarter up, 57-36.

The Saints continued to hold a commanding lead, increasing the gap to as much as 23. USJ would try and fight back, as a pair of free throws brough USJ within 19, 61-42 at the 7:45 mark. However, the deficit would prove too much to overcome as Emmanuel took home a 72-55 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ouellette led all scorers with 18 points.
• Fudge joined her in double-digits, dropping 10 points.
• Ouellette also paced the team in rebounding, hauling in eight boards.
• Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) was the primary playmaker, dishing out four assists.
• The Saints outshot the Blue Jays, 36.4 percent (28 of 77) to 33.3 percent (23 of 69).
• Emmanuel held a commanding lead on the glass, outrebounding USJ 67-31.
• USJ were ferocious defensively, forcing 24 turnovers, scoring 21 points off the miscues.
• Emmanuel extended its dominating advantage in the all-time series to 34-1 with the victory.
• The Saints increased their winning streak to 30 games over the Blue Jays. 

UP NEXT

Women's basketball returns to West Hartford for their final regular season game inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium on Saturday, February 11^th, hosting Dean College. Saturday's game serves as Senior Day and Alumni Day, as the Blue Jays will honor the 1996-97 women's basketball GNAC championship team at halftime. Tipoff against the Bulldogs is set for 1:00 p.m. Tickets to attend Saturday's game can be purchased by visiting www.usjbluejays.com/tickets. Fans who cannot make it to the game in person can watch all of the action live by visiting https://portal.stretchinternet.com/usj/.

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