Saints Surge Late To Soar Past Blue Jays, 57-38

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Emmanuel College closed out the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays with a 20-4 surge over the final 11 minutes of play to seal a 57-38 road victory in Great Northeast Athletic Conference women’s basketball action at the O’Connell Center in West Hartford, Conn.

Saints Surge Late To Soar Past Blue Jays, 57-38
Video Box Score

Team Stats

February 12, 2022

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel, 57 – USJ, 38

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (20-1, 14-0 GNAC)
Univ. of Saint Joseph Blue Jays (12-10, 8-7 GNAC)

Location: West Hartford, Conn. – O'Connell Center

Date: Saturday, February 12, 2022

THE LEAD – Emmanuel College closed out the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays with a 20-4 surge over the final 11 minutes of play to seal a 57-38 road victory in Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's basketball action at the O'Connell Center in West Hartford, Conn.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • USJ hung tough for almost 30 minutes, keeping the score within a one possession game (37-34) late in the third quarter before the Saints turned up the intensity to nab a GNAC road win. Emmanuel finished the third quarter with a 5-0 flurry on a basket by senior Loredana D'Agostino (Broad Brook, Conn.) followed by a triple by junior Caitlin Barker (Plainville, Conn.) to increase the lead to 42-34 heading into the fourth
  • After trading baskets to a 45-36 score, EC put the game away with a 12-0 run, holding the Blue Jays scoreless over nearly seven minutes en route to the 57-38 final.
  • In the opening quarter, the teams traded hoops to an 11-10 score in favor of the Saints  before EC ended the period scoring six straight points over the final minute of play to take a 17-10 lead into the second.
  • The Blue Jays trailed by as many as 10 (23-13) early on in the second but battled back to make it a two-point game at the break, holding the Saints to just two points over the final eight minutes of play to make it a 25-23 halftime score.
  • Emmanuel opened the lead back up to nine (37-28) with 4:26 to play in the third and again USJ fought back to get it to a single possession at 37-34 on a jumper by Jorden Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) before the Saints slammed the door with the surge to close the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

  • D'Agostino finished the afternoon with her eighth double-double of the season, posting 13 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
  • Fellow senior Riley Lahiff (North Attleboro, Mass.) scored a game-high 14 points to go along with seven rebounds, five steals and five assists.
  • Junior Caitlin Barker (Plainville, Conn.) chipped in with nine points off the bench, going 2-for-3 from long range.
  • Ouellette finished one rebound shy of a double-double, leading the way for USJ with 10 points and nine boards.
  • With their 20th win, EC Head Coach Andy Yosinoff posted his 26th season with 20+ victories to match the most-ever by a D-III women's basketball coach. He joins Phillip Kahler (St. John Fisher), Michael Strong (Scranton) and Nancy Fahey (Washington-St. Louis) as the only four D-III coaches with 26 seasons of 20 or more wins.

UP NEXT

  • The Saints will head to Paxton, Mass. on Tuesday, February 15 for 7:00 PM GNAC tilt vs. Anna Maria.
  • USJ hosts Johnson & Wales at 5:00 PM the same day.