Women's Basketball Set to Face Emmanuel in GNAC Quarterfinals

BOSTON — The South Division three-seed University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team begins its quest for its second ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship, travelling to the North Division second-seed, and reigning GNAC champions, Emmanuel College in the GNAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday night. Tipoff against the Saints is set for 7:30 p.m. inside the Jean Yawkey Center in Boston.

#3S USJ BLUE JAYS (16-9, 12-6 GNAC) at #2N EMMANUEL SAINTS (20-5, 15-2 GNAC) 
LOCATION: Jean Yawkey Center (Boston, Mass.) 
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, Feb. 21 (7:30 p.m.)  
WATCH: Live Stream 
LIVE STATS: Live Stats 
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays 
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

• USJ earned the three seed in the South Division after finishing with a 16-9 record overall and a 12-6 mark in GNAC play. The Blue Jays finished tied with Regis College, but Regis's win over Albertus Magnus saw them take the tiebreaker and the second seed.
• The Blue Jays are led by junior forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.). She currently leads the team in both scoring (16.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.4 rpg). The totals see Ouellette rank sixth, and seventh in the categories in the conference, respectively.
• Sophomore guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) provides a challenge for opposing backcourts, dropping 12.2 points per game, while dishing out 2.5 assists per game. She leads the team defensively with 1.9 steals per contest.
• Junior guard Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) is a jack-of-all trades for the Blue Jays, posting 9.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.0 spg and a team high 3.3 apg.
• USJ are relentless defending beyond the arc, limiting opposing offenses to 21.9 percent shooting from long range, the sixth best mark in the country.
• The Blue Jays play just as well inside the three-point line, limiting teams to a 33.1 percent field goal percentage, the 28^th best total in the nation.
• Last season, USJ finished as the fifth seed, defeating Johnson & Wales University in the first round, before falling to four-seeded Regis College in the quarterfinals.
• USJ has reached the GNAC playoffs for the second season in a row. The Blue Jays are 7-6 all-time in the postseason and are looking for their second GNAC Championship.

SCOUTING EMMANUEL 

• Emmanuel tied with St. Joseph's College (SJC) for the top-seed in the North Division, but lost a coin flip tiebreaker, falling to the second seed.
• The Saints finished the regular season with a 20-5 mark, including a 15-2 record in GNAC play.
• Emmanuel closed out the regular season on a nine-game winning streak.
• The Saints are led by the duo of sophomore forward Yannie Chan (Hong Kong, China) and junior guard Olivia Matela (Swampscott, Mass.).
• Chan leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game, and assists, dishing out 5.8 per contest. The forward is just as ferocious defensively, leading the Saints with 2.2 steals per game.
• Matela follows closely behind in scoring, dropping 14.4 points per game. The guard also posts 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
• The Saints are perennial GNAC powerhouses and currently are the three-time defending conference champions. Emmanuel has appeared in seven of the last eight title games. The Saints are the most successful team in GNAC history, winning 18 championships in 22 tries.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Tuesday marks the 36th meeting on the hardwood between USJ and Emmanuel.
• The Saints have a dominating 34-1 edge in the all-time series.
• Emmanuel is currently on a 30-game winning streak against USJ.
• The two sides have met twice in the postseason, with Emmanuel coming out on top on both occasions. The Saints won 74-60, during the Quarterfinals in 2011, and 91-56 in the 1997 GNAC championship game. 
• The Blue Jays and Saints met in Boston earlier this month, with Emmanuel coming out on top, 72-55, on Feb. 8.

TICKET INFO
Tickets for the GNAC Quarterfinals must be purchased on site and are valid for both the Emmanuel men's and women's GNAC playoff doubleheader. No advance tickets will be sold. Adult admission is $8.00 and senior citizens and children under 12 is $5.00. Emmanuel College students, staff and faculty may receive free admission but must present a valid student/college ID at the door. Season passes are not valid for GNAC tournament play as noted on the season-pass.

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Semifinals, taking on the winner of the Albertus Magnus and Colby-Sawyer matchup. The Semifinals are set to take place on Thursday, February 23 at the site of the higher seed.

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