Women's Basketball Erupts Offensively, Defeats NEC in GNAC Play Saturday, 89-63

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Senior guard Amanda Fudge (Middletown, Conn.) knocked down a career-high six three-pointers, lifting the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team past New England College (NEC), 89-68, during Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play Saturday afternoon inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 9-1 overall and 1-1 in the GNAC, while the Pilgrims drop to 6-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Blue Jays immediately got on the board to start the game, winning the opening tip before senior forward Olivia Heslin (Plainville, Conn.) knocked down a close-range jumper, while junior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) scored a transition layup and senior guard Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) drained a turnaround jumper, establishing a 6-0 USJ lead at the 8:51 mark.
• NEC responded with a 4-0 stretch, but Fudge cut the momentum, sinking a triple from the top of the arc, increasing the USJ edge to 9-4 with 6:34 on the clock.
• The Pilgrims continued to fight back though, utilizing a 7-2 run to tie the game at 11-11, before taking their first lead of the game, 14-13, after a spot-up three-pointer, entering the media timeout with 3:35 on the clock.
• The two teams would trade buckets to close out the first quarter, as the Pilgrims knocked down a buzzer-beating layup to tie the game at 22-22 entering the second quarter.
• USJ got off to another hot start to begin the second, opening up on an 8-2 stretch, capped off by a junior forward Janai Oliver (Hartford, Conn.) forcing the Pilgrims to call a timeout, trailing 30-24 at the 7:07 mark.
• NEC closed the gap to four, but a 6-0 Slisz run, increased USJ's lead to double digits, 36-26 with 4:58 left in the half.
• USJ continued to roll, extending the stretch to 10-0, as Verboven knocked down an easy layup, increasing the lead to 40-26 with 3:18 on the clock.
• The Pilgrims would fight back, using a 9-0 stretch to pull back within five, 40-35, but a Fudge triple from the wing increased the USJ advantage back to eight, 43-35, entering the halftime break.
• USJ again started a quarter on a hot streak, using a 7-2 stretch, capped off by a Verboven mid-range jumper to open the gap to 13, 50-37 at the 7:28 mark.
• NEC closed the gap back to single digits after a 5-0 stretch, 50-42, but USJ responded in kind with a 6-0 run, increased the edge to 56-42 as the game reached a media timeout with 4:20 on the clock.
• The Pilgrims would not go away though, opening a 4-0 gap to close the deficit to 10, 56-46, forcing USJ to call a timeout with 2:54 left in the third.
• NEC again fought back to within eight, 56-48, but a 10-2 USJ stretch to close the quarter established a 66-50 Blue Jays lead entering the fourth.
• Fudge continued her stellar three-point shooting game, knocking down her fifth triple of the game to increase the lead to 17, 69-52, and force a NEC timeout with 8:48 left to play.
• USJ continued to dominate, as a senior forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) old-fashioned three-point play increased the USJ lead to 24, 77-53 with 7:09 on the clock.
• The Blue Jays continued to control the game, taking home a 89-68 victory. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• The 89 points are the most for the Blue Jays this season.
• Fudge and Ouellette put up a game-high 22 points each.
• Fudge knocked down her 84th career three-pointer, establishing herself as 9th all-time in career threes for USJ.
• Ouellette posted her first double-double of the season, hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds.
• Slisz dished out a game-high seven assists and swiped a game-high five steals.
• USJ shot 50.0 percent from the field, compared to NEC's 47.6 percent clip.
• USJ dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Pilgrims, 41-29.

UP NEXT
The Blue Jays quickly return to the court, travelling to face MCLA on Monday, December 11. Tipoff against the Trailblazers inside the Amsler Campus Center Gym in North Adams, Mass. is set for 6:00 p.m.

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