Albertus Magnus Women's Hoop Downs Regis on Road in GNAC Quarterfinals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

#1 Saint Joseph's Maine 83, #8 Mount Ida 54
STANDISH, Maine – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (25-1) defeated #8 Mount Ida College (13-13), 83-54, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball tournament quarterfinal at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday evening.

With the victory, the Monks extend their winning streak to 24 games and break the SJC Athletics record for longest streak, which was originally set in 1999 when the men's basketball team rattled off 23 straight wins.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
With tonight's win, Saint Joseph's advances to the semifinal round of the GNAC Tournament and will host #5 Albertus Magnus College, which posted an upset victory over #4 Regis (Mass.) in other quarterfinal action this evening, on Thursday at 7:00 PM.

For Mount Ida, tonight's result signals the end of the 2017-18 campaign.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks shook off a sluggish start with an 18-5 run encapsulating the latter five minutes of the first quarter and held a 26-12 cushion going into the second stanza.

Trailing 44-25 at the break, the Mustangs attempted to mount a comeback early in the third frame, but the Monks essentially put the game away with an 11-2 run, capped by a pair of Julia Champagne (Brunswick, Maine) layups with the hosts holding a 63-39 advantage.

St. Joe's went on to claim a game-high 29-point cushion when Champagne converted a layup lifting her team to a 73-44 lead with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter.

STATS OF THE GAME:
The Monks held a 43-22 lead in rebounds and, subsequently, posted a 44-10 points in the paint advantage. St. Joe's overcame a lack of ball security (24 turnovers) by shooting 57.4% (31-54) from the field, the team's second-highest percentage of the season (SJC shot 60% (42-70) versus Rivier on December 9th).

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

·       Junior guard Kelsi McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) netted 26 points with seven assists, three rebounds, and a pair of steals

·       Champagne notched a very efficient offensive contest, going 9-10 from the floor – including 3-3 from downtown – en route to scoring 22 points with six boards, three steals, and a pair of assists

·       Junior forward Emily Benway (Rochester, N.H.) tallied 10 points and six caroms

·       Junior guard Hannah Marks (Waldoboro, Maine) added six points and five rebounds

LEADERS – MOUNT IDA:

·       Sophomore forward Valerie Martin (Derry, N.H.) scored a team-high 14 points with three assists

·       Senior forward Imani Bumpus (Dedham, Mass.) posted an impressive line with 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and six steals

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the win, Saint Joseph's improves to 11-1 all-time versus Mount Ida College and has now defeated the Mustangs in 11-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2007-08 campaign.

Courtesy of SJC Athletics Communications.

#5 Albertus Magnus 51, #4 Regis 49
WESTON, Mass.  – After a nine-rebound performance in a 51-49 road win over fourth-seeded Regis (Mass.) in the quarterfinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament, senior forward Olivia Bolden (pictured, South Windsor, Conn.) of the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team passed Natalia Perlaza as the program's all-time leading rebounder with 1,120 and counting.

FINAL SCORE: Albertus Magnus 51 | Regis (Mass.) 49
RECORDS: #5 Albertus Magnus (18-7) | #4 Regis (Mass.) (15-11)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Regis (Mass.) controlled the opening quarter, holding a nine-point advantage, 17-8, heading into the final 10 minutes of the first half. Albertus Magnus was able to answer back in the second quarter cutting the lead to within two, 28-26, but the visitors would trail 31-28 at the half.

Three minutes into the third, Kikki Epps (Norwalk, Conn.) tied the game at 33-33 on a made jumper before an 11-4 run by the Pride extended their lead to seven, 44-37, with 1:20 left in the frame.

Down by five, 46-41, entering the final 10 minutes of play, Albertus Magnus started off the fourth quarter hot with a 7-2 run tying the game at 48-all.

Sam D'Angelo put home one of two free throws with 1:10 remaining to put the Pride up by one, but Kiki Epps(Norwalk, Conn.) responded at the other end of the floor by hitting two free throws of her own to put the Falcons ahead for good.

NOTEWORTHY

• This is the Falcons sixth-straight GNAC postseason appearance, extending their all-time total to 17.
• Albertus Magnus holds an all-time postseason record of 11-16.
• Bolden's 20-point performance extends her career-total to 1,996 points, just four shy of recording her 2,000th career tally.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Albertus Magnus - 37.3% (field goal), 20% (three point) and 73.7% (free throw)
• Regis (Mass.) - 31.1% (field goal), 23.8% (three point) and 42.9% (free throw)
• This game battled through five ties and three lead changes.
• Regis (Mass.) out rebounded the visitors by a 43-36 margin as well as posted a 19-4 advantage in second chance points.
• Junior Kiki Epps (Norwalk, Conn.) was the next player to finish in double-figures for the Falcons with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block.
• Both Brittany Stone (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Sam D'Angelo (11 points, 11 rebounds) finished with double-doubles for the Pride.
• All five of the Falcons' starters recorded a block.
• Both team registered 14 turnovers apiece.
• The Pride capitalized on the Falcons' mistakes recorded 17 points compared to the visitors who recorded only eight.
• Albertus Magnus dominated scoring 30 of its 51 points in the paint.

Courtesy of Albertus Athletics Communications. 

#3 Suffolk 68, #6 Johnson & Wales 46
BOSTON, Mass. – Suffolk women's basketball held off a Johnson & Wales comeback to secure its spot in the GNAC semifinals behind a 68-46 victory over the Wildcats Tuesday night inside Regan Gymnasium. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 68, Johnson & Wales 46
RECORDS: Suffolk (20-6) | Johnson & Wales (15-11) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
After exchanging the lead twice, Jenni-Rose DiCecco took over. The freshman floor general sparked a 10-2 Suffolk run, which including seven points from the floor, to put the hosts ahead, 15-7. Johnson & Wales took its first timeout of the evening and held Suffolk over the remaining 3:30 of the opening frame to make it a 15-10 Rams game after the first 10 minutes. 

A traditional three-point play by Georgia Bourikas pushed Suffolk's advantage to double figures before the Wildcats used its second timeout of the night. The break did not stop an ensuing Suffolk run, however, as Jordan Hipwell coupled back-to-back buckets out of the break to keep the double-digit distance intact, 29-15. Down the stretch, Alexis Hackett and DiCecco combined for a 6-2 stretch to send the Rams into intermission up 35-20. 

JWU commanded the third quarter, outscoring the Rams, 14-2, in the first five minutes to cut the deficit to five, 39-34. DiCecco put away the Rams first field goal in over 4:53 to end a Rams' draught and keep the hosts out in front to head into the final frame up 44-39. 

The Wildcats comeback continued as the visitors pulled within one, 44-43, with 9:17 on the clock. Suffolk stayed calm, cool and collected though as Shannon Smith connected on a base-line jumper followed by back-to-back buckets from Hackett, which got the Rams going. Froom there, the blue-and-gold strung together 10 unanswered points to grab a 64-46 advantage with 53 seconds to play. 

Dicecco took care of business at the line for Suffolk, shooting 4-for-4 to seal up the 68-46 victory. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• DiCecco led the way with 23 points on an 8-for-18 showing from the floor and a 5-for-6 effort from the charity stripe. She added six boards and four assists.
• Hackett had an all-around game with 14 points and 19 rebounds, 17 of which came on the defensive end.
• Bourikas and Hipwell each had 11 points. Bourikas shot 4-for-10 on the night with a 2-for-5 performance from downtown to go along with nine boards, while Hipwell went 5-for-8 from the field and pulled down seven caroms.
• As a team, Suffolk shot 44.6 percent (25-56) from the floor, 36.8 percent (7-19) from behind-the-arc and 84.6 percent (11-13) from the free throw line.
• The Rams won the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats, 52-27. 

NOTEWORHTY

• Suffolk advances to the GNAC semifinals for the 10th time and first since 2016.
• The Rams defeated the Wildcats for the second time in the conference postseason and first since the inaugural meeting in 2007.
• The Rams improved to 18-8 versus JWU all-time.
• Suffolk won its 20th game, marking the third 20-win season for the Rams and first since 2012-13 (23-4).
• DiCecco had her second straight game with double figures in scoring and 17th outing overall with 10 or more points.
• DiCecco put together her fifth 20-point performance.
• Hackett combined her 17th game with double figure rebounds and 16th outing with 10 or more points for her 12th double-double of the season.
• Hackett's 19 rebounds mark the most for a Ram in the game-by-game record book, which dates back through the 2010-11 season.  
• Bourikas dropped double figures in 21 of Suffolk's 26 games this year and four consecutive games.
• Hackett recorded double figures for the ninth time in her career. 

COMING UP
Suffolk advances to the GNAC semis Thursday, Feb. 24 where it will head across town to face the field's second seed Emmanuel.  

Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics Communications. 

#2 Emmanuel 79, #7 Norwich 52
BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Women's Basketball team defeated Norwich University on Tuesday evening, 79-52, led by a combined 48 points by the Saint's starters, extending their winning streak to 16 games and advancing to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference semifinal, on the Andy Yosinoff Court.

THE BASICS 
Score: Norwich University, 52; Emmanuel College, 79 
Records: Norwich University Cadats (10-16); Emmanuel College Saints (20-6)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Andy Yosinoff Court
Date: Tuesday, February 20^th, 2018

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• The first five minutes of play was controlled by the Saint's Mary McCarthy (Scituate, Mass.), who scored eight points early to get Emmanuel ahead, 13-6.
• The Cadets closed the lead to four off of a made layup by Katie Dixon (Revere, Mass.) but Madison McLaughlin (Westerly, R.I) of EC hit a shot from behind the arc with two seconds left to close out the period 19-12.
• In the first minute of the second period, Arianna Harrison (Vernon, Vt.) and Julia Vigorito (Malden, Mass.) of Norwich were able to hit two quick shots to close the lead back to three, only down 19-16.
• Norwich kept the game close throughout the second period before the momentum was shut down by Emmanuel's Kayla Weaver (West Haven, Conn), connecting on a layup and drawing the defensive foul, 27-23.
• After the and-one, the Saints went on a 12-0 run, six of which came from Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (South Boston, Mass.), to close out the first half of play, 39-23.
• The Saints continued the offensive attack in the first three minutes of play in the third period, to extend the lead to 20 points off of made back-to-back jump shots by Weaver, 45-25.
• Shyann Josler (Thetford Center, VT.) put some spark back in the offense of the Cadets in the middle of the third quarter, but the Saints bench came in hot to extend the lead to 28 points as Olivia Dalphonse (Buxton, Maine) made a shot from behind the arc, 60-32.
• EC's Kendra Pannell () came off of the bench in the fourth period and scored a quick eight points for Emmanuel to keep the Cadets at bay.
• Emmanuel finished out the final quarter on an 11-8 run to take down the Norwich University Cadets, 79-52.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Junior center Mary McCarthy completed her first double-double of the season, ending the night with 13 points and collecting 10 rebounds.
• Josler of the Cadets recorded her own double-double, scoring 20 points while also collecting ten rebounds to close out her collegiate career.
• Kayla Weaver of the Saints controlled the tempo of the game from the helm, scoring a team high 17 points and dishing out three assists.
• The Saints were able to outrebound the Cadets, 49-40, and created defensive chaos, causing 22 turnovers by Norwich.

UP NEXT

• Emmanuel College will host the number five seed Albertus Magnus in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference semifinal on Thursday, February 22^nd at 7:00pm.

Courtesy of EC Athletics Communications.

Tuesday, February 20 - Quarterfinals
Game 1: #1 Saint Joseph's Maine 83, #8 Mount Ida 54 | BOX
Game 2: #5 Albertus Magnus 51, #4 Regis (Mass.) 49 | BOX
Game 3: at #3 Suffolk 68, #6 Johnson & Wales 46 | BOX
Game 4: #2 Emmanuel 79, #7 Norwich 52 | BOX

Thursday, February 22 - Semifinals
Game 5: #5 Albertus Magnus at #1 Saint Joseph's Maine - 7:00 PM
Game 6: #3 Suffolk at #2 Emmanuel - 7:00 PM

Saturday, February 24 - Final
Game 7: Highest remaining seed

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement. 

– #TheGNAC –