WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: SJC Monks Rally Past Emmanuel to Capture Fifth-Ever GNAC Title
Despite trailing for 32 of the 40 minutes, Saint Joseph's of Maine controlled the fourth quarter to take down GNAC rival Emmanuel, 74-67, on Saturday in the league title game.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of SJC Athletics Communications
STANDISH, Maine – Junior guard Hannah Talon (Windham, Maine) scored a game-high 27 points – including 18 in the fourth quarter – to help #1N Saint Joseph's College (23-5) rally past #2N Emmanuel College (22-6), 74-67, in the 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Basketball Championship at the Harold Alfond Center on Sunday afternoon.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's earns the GNAC's automatic qualifier into the NCAA DIII Tournament, which begins on Friday, March 3. The national tournament bracket will be announced live by the NCAA on Monday at 2:30 PM.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Saints led for nearly 32 of 40 total minutes, but the Monks took the lead when it mattered most with an impressive fourth quarter effort and held on to claim the program's fifth GNAC Championship (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023).
After playing through several ties and lead changes in the opening minutes, Emmanuel mounted a 14-3 run that spanned four minutes to take a 19-10 advantage with 2:36 left in the first quarter.
The Monks cut their deficit to three points (19-16) when freshman guard Elisabeth Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) hit a shot from downtown 22 seconds into the second stanza and trailed 25-19 after junior guard Nina Howe (York, Maine) made two free throws with 6:58 before the break. The Saints proceeded to grab their first double-digit advantage – 34-23 - when sophomore guard Yannie Chan (Hong Kong, China) completed a traditional three-point play at the 4:21 mark of the second quarter.
After shooting just 28.1% (9-32) in the first two quarters combined, Saint Joseph's trailed 39-30 at intermission but quickly made it a four-point (44-40) game as Stapelfeld capped a 10-5 swing when she converted a layup with 5:16 left in the penultimate period.
The Saints held a 51-47 edge going into the final frame and maintained a single-digit lead until the Monks tied the game, 58-58, when Talon made a layup at the 5:57 mark in the middle of a game-changing 17-2 run, which saw the hosts take a 66-58 lead with 2:25 remaining. Talon scored 12 of her team's 17 points during the SJC outburst.
Emmanuel would not go down without a fight however, as the visitors followed with an 11-5 surge in the subsequent two minutes to make it a 71-67 game with 23 second left. Saint Joseph's sealed the victory by going 3-for-4 from the FT line in the final 17 seconds.
STATS OF THE GAME:
The difference in today's contest proved to be the Monks' play in a decisive fourth quarter, as the hosts shot 71.4% (10-14) from the floor and 70.0% (7-for-10) from the charity stripe en route to outscoring the Saints by a 27-16 margin in the final frame.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Talon was named as the GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after pouring in 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting; in three tourney triumphs, the junior standout averaged 26.3 points while shooting 62.2% (28-45) from the floor and 85.7% (18-21) from the FT line
- Nina Howe added 14 points, five assists, three rebounds, and a pair of assists
- Stapelfeld contributed 12 points, seven boards, and two assists
- Junior guard Angelica Hurley (Groveland, Mass.) added eight points, 11 rebounds, and four assists
- Freshman Logan Brown (Brunswick, Maine) came off the bench to net six points on 2-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc
LEADERS – EMMANUEL:
- Chan led the Saints with 19 points and added five assists, four rebounds, and a pair of steals
- Sophomore forward Desiree Robinson (New Haven, Conn.) added 12 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots
- Junior forward Kiera Eubanks (Portland, Maine) chipped in with 11 points, seven caroms, and a pair of assists
- Junior guard Olivia Matela (Swampscott, Mass.) scored nine points with three assists
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With today's triumph, the Monks improve to 9-23 all-time versus Emmanuel College, a team St. Joe's has faced in the GNAC Championship seven times in the last 11 seasons. The Saints hold a slight 4-3 edge in the seven championship meetings.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
MVP – Hannah Talon, Saint Joseph's
Nina Howe, Saint Joseph's
Elisabeth Stapelfeld, Saint Joseph's
Yannie Chan, Emmanuel
Olivia Matela, Emmanuel
Alexa Dufries, Rivier
Jakara Murray-Leach, Albertus Magnus