Women's Basketball Bests Saint Joseph's (Maine), 66-59, Claims 2025 GNAC Championship

STANDISH, Maine. – For the first time since the 1997-98 season, the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team is the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Champion. The fourth-seeded Blue Jays took down second-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine (SJC), 66-59, Saturday afternoon during the GNAC Championship Game inside the Harold Alfond Center in Standish, Maine. The victory marked the second GNAC championship in USJ women's basketball program history and the 14th overall conference title in USJ school history across all sports. With the result, the Blue Jays improved to 19-9 overall on the 2024-25 season and earned the GNAC's automatic qualifier into the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship, while the Monks concluded their campaign 21-7 overall. 

USJ's graduate student guard Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) and senior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) were named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team, while graduate student forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) was named the GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Blue Jays got off to a strong start, opening the game on an 8-4 run fueled by six points from Ouellette, and forced a SJC timeout at the 5:59 mark of the first quarter.
• SJC responded with a 7-2 stretch, taking the lead, 13-12, with 2:01 left in the first.
• USJ answered back with a 7-2 run of its own, featuring buckets from Ouellette, graduate student forward Maci Dorantes (Bristol, Conn.) and Verboven, to retake the lead, 19-15, at the conclusion of the opening period.
• The Blue Jays carried their momentum into the second stanza, as Slisz knocked down a triple, increasing the gap to 24-17 at the 8:52 mark of the quarter.
• The Monks closed the deficit to four, 26-22, but a 5-0 Blue Jays' run, capped off by a three-pointer from senior guard Jelly Frigo (West Hartford, Conn.), saw the visitors hold a 31-22 edge as SJC called a timeout with 5:08 showing on the second-quarter clock.
• The two sides traded buckets to close out the half, as USJ took a 37-29 edge into the halftime break.
• SJC opened the third quarter with a 6-0 run, closing the gap to two, 37-35, and forced a USJ timeout at the 8:12 mark.
• USJ would answer back though with an 8-2 run, capped off by a driving layup from Slisz, reestablishing an eight-point lead, 45-37, and forced a Monks timeout with 5:16 to go in the third quarter.
• The Blue Jays extended their advantage to double-figures, 48-37, as Ouellette sunk a layup at the 4:05 mark.
• SJC fought back though and got within three, but a tough Verboven buzzer-beating jumper saw the Blue Jays hold a 52-47 edge entering the fourth and final quarter of play.
• The Monks continued to chip away at the lead, cutting the gap to one, 52-51, as USJ called a timeout at the 8:12 mark.
• USJ fired back with a 6-0 run, fueled by four points from Verboven, increasing the edge to seven, 60-53, as SJC called a timeout with 4:08 left to play.
• Both defenses would start to clamp up, as the Blue Jays maintained the lead, 60-55, and called for a timeout of their own with 2:12 remaining in regulation.
• The Blue Jays continued to keep the Monks at bay, as USJ iced the game out at the free-throw line, securing the 66-59 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Ouellette finished with a team-high 18 points.
• Slisz and Verboven joined her in double-figures, scoring 17 and 15 points, respectively.
• Verboven hauled in a team-high eight rebounds.
• Slisz dished out game-best seven assists.
• Slisz has now dished out 137 assists this season, setting a single-season program record.
• USJ outshot SJC, 50.0 percent (25-of-50) to 40.7 percent (24-of-59).
• The Blue Jays limited the Monks to a 7.1 percent (1-of-14) shooting clip from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT

Women's basketball earns the league's automatic qualifier into the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship. The Blue Jays will learn their opening round opponent during the NCAA Selection Show, which is set to air on Monday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. on www.NCAA.com. The NCAA Tournament First Round is scheduled to begin on Friday, March 7.

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