Ouellette's Career-High 37 Points Powers Women's Hoops Past Rivier in GNAC Quarterfinals

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Graduate student forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) scored a career-high 37 points to power the fourth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team past fifth-seeded Rivier University (Rivier), 93-84, during the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals Tuesday night inside James. A Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays improved to 17-9 overall on the season and advanced to the GNAC Semifinals for the second consecutive season, while the Raiders concluded their year 15-11 overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Rivier grabbed the early lead, holding a 9-4 edge with 7:18 left to play in the opening quarter.
• USJ fought back, using an 8-2 stretch capped off by free throws from senior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.), to take the lead, 12-11, with 4:53 on the first-quarter clock.
• The Raiders responded by regaining a five-point edge, 19-14, but an Ouellette jumper rounded out an 8-0 USJ run, as the Blue Jays took a 22-19 lead with 1:44 left in the first quarter.
• However, Rivier would sink an incredible half-court buzzer-beating three to close out the first, tying the game at 27-27.
• USJ responded to open the second period, utilizing a 10-0 run, featuring seven points from graduate student guard Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.), to break open a 37-27 gap with 6:31 to play before halftime.
• Rivier cut the disadvantage to two, but another 10-0 stretch by the hosts, fueled by a triple from Slisz, established a 12-point USJ lead, 47-35, with 2:38 left in the opening half.
• The Raiders closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, as the Blue Jays entered the halftime break with a 47-41 advantage.
• The two teams traded buckets to open the second half, until a 9-0 USJ run, capped off by an Ouellette layup, saw the Blue Jays hold a 65-48 edge with 2:51 remaining in the third period.
• USJ maintained its lead to close out the third, taking a 71-55 lead into the fourth and final quarter.
• The Blue Jays continued to pull away, as Ouellette knocked down another jumper, increasing the lead to 76-59 with 7:45 left to play.
• Rivier would respond though, using an 8-0 stretch to cut the gap back to single-digits, 76-67, and forced a USJ timeout at the 5:17 mark.
• Freshman guard Sequoia Turcotte Briggs (Andover, Conn.) put an end to the run with a three-pointer out of the break, increasing the edge to 79-67 with 4:56 left on the clock.
• USJ began to pull back away, as graduate student forward Olivia Heslin (Plainville, Conn.) knocked down a pair of free throws, establishing a 13-point advantage, 90-77, with 1:20 left to go.
• The Blue Jays would ice out the Raiders for the remainder of the game, securing the victory, 93-84.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Ouellette paced the team with a career-high 37 points.
• Verboven and Slisz also finished in double-figures, scoring 17 and 14 points, respectively.
• Heslin and Slisz both hauled in a team-high 10 rebounds.
• Slisz nearly recorded a triple-double, dishing out eight assists.
• USJ outshot Rivier from the field 57.1% to 38.8%.
• The Blue Jays outrebounded the Raiders, 46-34.
• Rivier scored 24 points off 22 USJ turnovers.

UP NEXT

The fourth-seeded Blue Jays advance to the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, February 27, and will play top-seeded Johnson & Wales University. Tipoff between the Blue Jays and Wildcats inside the Wildcat Center in Providence, R.I. is set for 6:00 p.m.

Follow USJ Athletics
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays