Fourth-Seeded Women's Hoops Set to Battle Second-Seeded SJC in GNAC Championship Game Saturday

STANDISH, Maine — The fourth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team looks to win its first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship since 1998, traveling to second-seeded, and reigning GNAC champions, Saint Joseph's College of Maine (SJC) for the GNAC Championship Game Saturday afternoon. The matchup is a rematch of the 2024 GNAC Championship, which saw the Monks take down the Blue Jays, 85-72. Tipoff between the Blue Jays and Monks is set for 1:00 p.m. inside the Harold Alfond Center in Standish, Maine.

#4 USJ BLUE JAYS (18-9, 11-3 GNAC) at #2 SJC MONKS (21-6, 12-2 GNAC) 
LOCATION: Harold Alfond Center (Standish, Maine) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 1 (1:00 p.m.)  
WATCH: Live Stream 
LIVE STATS: Live Stats
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays | #D3hoops
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

• USJ earned the fourth seed in the GNAC Championship Tournament after posting an 11-3 conference record during the regular season. The Blue Jays were tied with Albertus Magnus and Rivier University, and lost out on a tiebreaker with Albertus Magnus, but held the head-to-head difference over Rivier to earn the fourth seed.
• The Blue Jays advanced to the GNAC Championship Game for the second consecutive season after taking down the Raiders in the Quarterfinals, before upsetting top-seeded Johnson & Wales University in the semifinals on Thursday.
• USJ is led by the trio of graduate students Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) and Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) and senior Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.).
• Ouellette is having a career year, averaging a team-high 19.3 points per game on 58.4% shooting from the floor. The graduate student also hauls in a team-best 7.1 rebounds per contest. Her scoring totals see her rank fifth in the nation in total field goals made (225) and ninth in field-goal percentage.
• Ouellette is currently the all-time leading rebounder in USJ history, and is currently 29 points away from tying Stacy Manfredi for the all-time career scoring record of 1,806 points.
• Slisz has also enjoyed a career season in her senior campaign, averaging career-highs in points per game (15.6), rebounds per game (4.1) and assists per game (4.8). The senior from New Britain currently ranks 18th in the country in total assists (123), while her assist per game tally is good for 27th in the nation.
• Verboven continues to be a jack-of-all trades for USJ, averaging a career high 15.2 points per game, while posting 6.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
• The Blue Jays are one of the most efficient scoring teams in the country, ranking ninth in the nation in field-goal percentage, shooting it at a 45.6% mark as a team.
• USJ has qualified for the GNAC Championship Tournament for the fourth season in a row. The Blue Jays are 11-8 all-time in the postseason and are looking for their second GNAC Championship in program history and first since 1998.

SCOUTING SJC

• SJC earned the second seed in the 2025 GNAC Championship Tournament after finishing 12-2 in GNAC play during the regular season.
• The Monks earned their spot in the GNAC title game after defeating seventh-seeded Emmanuel College in the quarterfinals, 72-65, and third-seeded Albertus Magnus in the semifinals, 67-60.
• The Monks are paced by the duo of graduate student guard Angelica Hurley (Groveland, Mass.) and junior forward Grace Ramsdell (Wells, Maine).
• Hurley leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.6 points per game while hauling in a team-high 7.0 rebounds and dishing out 3.3 assists per contest.
• Ramsdell trails closely behind with 14.7 points per game, while grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game.
• SJC has been dominating the glass in 2024-25, ranking 28th in the nation in rebounding margin, outrebounding opponents by 8.7 rebounds a game.
• The Monks thrive off the three-ball, making 8.5 three-pointers a game, good for 14th in the country.
• The Monks are one of the most successful programs in GNAC history, winning six GNAC Championships, including the previous two titles.
• SJC is making their ninth-straight GNAC Championship Game appearance, and 10th in the past 11 seasons.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Saturday marks the 18th meeting on the hardwood between USJ and SJC.
• The Monks hold a 14-3 edge in the all-time series.
• The two sides met earlier this season in West Hartford on December 7, 2024, with the Blue Jays coming out on top, 70-64.
• Today's meeting between USJ and SJC is the second time that the two programs will meet in the GNAC Championship Tournament. Both meetings have now come in the GNAC Championship Game.

UP NEXT 

With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament for the first time in program history. USJ would learn its fate during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which is set to air on Monday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. on www.NCAA.com.

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