Ouellette Double-Double Lifts Women's Hoops Over WestConn in Home Opener, 70-60

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Graduate student forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) netted a game-high 30 points to lift the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team to a 70-60 victory at home against intrastate foe Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) Tuesday night inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. The point tally was a season-high for Ouellette and was one point shy of her career-high of 31. With the result, the Blue Jays moved to 2-2 on the season, while the Wolves dropped to 2-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After WCSU established an early 6-2 lead, USJ responded with an 8-0 run, fueled by three points from graduate student guard Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) to take a 10-6 edge at the 5:27 mark.
• The Blue Jays took advantage of another big scoring stretch, utilizing an 11-0 run, featuring a triple from senior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.), to extend the lead to double figures, 19-8, with 1:50 left in the first.
• The Wolves responded back with a 4-0 run to end the quarter, cutting the deficit to 19-12.
• WCSU would not go away, clawing back to within two, 21-19, but another Slisz three-pointer extended the gap back to five, 24-19, at the six-minute mark in the second.
• The visitors began to chip away at USJ's lead, closing the half on a 6-2 run to send the Blue Jays into the locker room with a slim 28-27 advantage.
• The two teams traded the lead early in the third quarter, as an Ouellette layup with 5:42 on the clock saw USJ hold a 40-39 lead.
• WCSU was able to grab a small lead late in the quarter, but a timely Slisz layup with seven seconds left and a senior guard Jelly Frigo (West Hartford, Conn.) block on a Wolves' last-second three-point attempt saw the hosts take a 46-45 edge into the fourth quarter.
• Ouellette and Frigo would net back-to-back jumpers inside the opening minute of the fourth stanza, increasing the USJ edge to five, 50-45.
• USJ extended the advantage to seven, utilizing a layup from graduate student forward Maci Dorantes (Bristol, Conn.) to hold a 55-48 lead with 4:23 left to play.
• The Blue Jays continued to roll, as an Ouellette jumper extended the gap to ten, 63-53, before the hosts iced the game out at the free throw line, defeating the Wolves, 70-60.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Ouellette notched her first double-double of the season, leading the team with 30 points and 10 rebounds.
• Slisz matched her career-high in assists, dishing out a team-best seven.
• After her passing performance, Slisz now ranks 10th all-time in career assists.
• The victory is the first at home for the Blue Jays against the Wolves in the all-time series.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays take the holiday weekend off, returning to the court on Wednesday, December 7 at Salve Regina University. Tipoff against the Seahawks inside the Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport, R.I., is slated for 7:00 p.m.

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