Women's Basketball Bounces Back, Defeats Salve Regina at Home Tuesday Night

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team returned to the win column, knocking off Salve Regina University (SRU), 79-54, Tuesday night inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 7-1 on the year, while the Seahawks drop to 3-7.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Blue Jays got off to a red-hot start, establishing a quick 10-2 edge after six points from senior forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) and a pull up mid-range jumper from Junior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) at the 6:19 mark.
• Senior guard Taylor Verboven (Columbia Conn.) increased the lead to 11-2 after a pair of free throws before an easy layup by Verboven after a great pass from Ouellette, saw USJ take its first double-digit lead of the game, 15-4, at the 3:31 mark.
• SRU would gain momentum late, cutting the gap to five, 15-10, but Slisz would drive to the bucket, knocking down a tough layup to end the quarter, sending USJ into the second with a 17-10 edge.
• The Seahawks continued to close the gap at the start of the second quarter, utilizing a quick 4-0 stretch to pull within three, 17-14, at the 8:15 mark.
• Freshman guard Natalia Zappone (Morris, Conn.) quickly put a stop to the SRU run, knocking down a triple from the wing, increasing the lead to six, 20-14.
• The Seahawks again cut the gap back to four, 22-18, but Slisz responded with a driving layup through contact, increasing the edge back to six, 24-18 with 5:30 left in the half.
• SRU continued to fight, getting within two, 26-24, but a 6-0 Blue Jays stretch, highlighted by four points from junior forward Janai Oliver (Hartford, Conn.) reestablished an eight-point lead, 32-26, with 2:07 left in the half.
• However, the Seahawks drained a late triple to close the USJ lead to four, 36-32, entering the halftime break.
• USJ started the third quarter with a bang, using a 6-0 run, capped off by a senior guard Amanda Fudge three-pointer, increasing the lead back to double-digits, 42-32 at the 8:25 mark.
• SRU would not go down easy, using a 4-0 stretch to close the deficit to 42-36, but USJ would respond in kind with a 6-0 run, capped off by a pull-up jumper from Fudge, as the Blue Jays held a 48-36 edge with 4:55 on the clock.
• Fudge continued to shoot lights out from the floor out of the break, sinking a triple from the top of the arc, increasing the gap to 51-38.
• Verboven continued the USJ dominance, receiving a pass from Slisz before draining a buzzer-beating three to close out a 16-2 run and end the quarter, increasing the lead to 67-40.
• The deficit ultimately proved too much for SRU to overcome in the fourth, as USJ held on for the 79-54 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Slisz paced the team with 17 points.
• Verboven, Fudge, Ouellette and Oliver all joined her in double figures.
• Ouellette and Oliver grabbed a team-high eight rebounds each.
• USJ outshot SRU, 47.8 percent to 35.3 percent from the floor.
• The Blue Jays lit it up from beyond the arc, shooting a 45.5 percent clip.
• The Seahawks narrowly outrebounded the Blue Jays, 43-39.

UP NEXT
The Blue Jays continue a three-game homestand, hosting John Jay College on Thursday, December 7. Tipoff against the Bloodhounds is set for 7:00 p.m. inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn.

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