Ouellette Nets 1,000th Career Point, Blue Jays Fall to UMass Dartmouth

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Senior forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) became the 10^th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000 career points mark as the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team rounded out 2023 by falling to UMass Dartmouth (UMD), 87-80, Sunday afternoon during the final day of the Smith Holiday Classic inside Ainsworth Gym in Northampton, Mass. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 10-3 on the year, while the Corsairs move to 9-1. Junior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) was named to the All-Tournament team.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• USJ got off to a red-hot start, establishing an 8-2 edge after four points from senior guard Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) with 6:50 on the clock.
• UMD would keep the score within six, until Ouellette knocked down a turnaround jumper to enable the Blue Jays to jump back out to an eight0point lead, 12-4 with 5:52 left in the first.
• USJ continued to control the game, as Ouellette found a wide-open Slisz for a triple, increasing the Blue Jays advantage to 15-6, with 4:27 on the clock.
• The Corsairs began to chip away at the Blue Jays lead to close the first, ending on a 7-4 stretch to close the deficit to six, 19-13, entering the second quarter.
• UMD carried the momentum into the second, utilizing a quick 7-2 stretch to pull back within two, 22-20, with 8:40 on the clock.
• USJ quickly responded with a 4-0 run, featuring buckets from junior forward Janai Oliver (Hartford, Conn.) and Verboven, to reopen a six-point edge, 26-20.
• However, UMD exploded offensively for a 14-2 stretch, establishing a 34-28 edge with 4:18 left in the half.
• Ouellette would put an end to the run at the 3:59 mark, knocking down a jumper to record her 1,000^th career point.
• The jumper sparked an 8-3 USJ stretch, fueled by six points from Slisz, cutting the Corsairs lead to one, 37-36, with 2:00 remaining in the second quarter.
• The Corsairs though would close the half on a 7-0 stretch, taking a 44-36 lead into the halftime break.
• USJ opened the second half on a 4-0 stretch, closing the gap to four, 44-40 inside the opening minute and a half.
• UMD would respond with a 9-2 stretch, extending the gap to double-digits, 53-42, with 6:25 on the clock.
• USJ put an end to the run as senior guard Amanda Fudge (Middletown, Conn.) and Ouellette both recorded baskets, to pull the Blue Jays within seven, 53-46.
• The Corsairs began to break the game open, pulling out to a 14-point lead, 64-50, after an 11-4 stretch with 2:28 left in the third.
• USJ would not go away though, as Slisz knocked down a tough driving layup through contact, closing out an 8-3 stretch to pull the Blue Jays back within nine, 67-58, with 56 seconds on the clock.
• The two teams traded buckets to close out the third, as UMD took a 70-60 edge into the fourth.
• The Blue Jays wasted little time in the fourth quarter, as Verboven scored back-to-back buckets, closing the gap to 70-64 and forcing the Corsairs to call a timeout at the 9:28 mark.
• UMD would open the gap back to ten, but a clutch Slisz triple from the corner closed the deficit to three, 74-71, and forced the Corsairs to call another timeout at the 7:17 mark.
• USJ continued to fight back, as Slisz knocked down a midrange jumper before sinking a transition layup to take a 79-77 edge with three minutes left to play.
• The Corsairs though controlled the remainder of the game, icing out the Blue Jays from the free-throw line to escape with a 87-80 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Slisz finished with a game-high 27 points.
• Ouellette and Verboven paced the team with nine rebounds each.
• Verboven also dished out a team-high six assists.
• UMD narrowly outshot USJ, 42.9 percent (33 of 77) to 41.1 percent (30 of 73).
• The Blue Jays were better from beyond the arc, posting a 40.0 percent clip compared to the Corsairs 31.3 percent mark.
• UMD outrebounded USJ, 49-39.
• The Corsairs dominated inside, scoring 50 points inside the paint.

UP NEXT
The Blue Jays open 2024 with a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup at Norwich University on Saturday, January 6. Tipoff against the Cadets inside Andrews Hall in Northfield, Vt., is set for 3:00 p.m.

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