PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Berthaiume '24
STANDISH, Maine – Senior guard Angelica Hurley (Groveland, Mass.) made three free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining to lift Saint Joseph's College (9-6, 5-0 GNAC) past Albertus Magnus College (12-4, 4-1 GNAC), 68-65, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball showdown on Mike McDevitt Court at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Monks rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to earn the important conference victory over the Falcons, who entered today's action riding an eight-game winning streak.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
With the game tied 65-65 and mere seconds remaining, Hurley was fouled on a layup bid and, subsequently, a technical foul was called on the Albertus Magnus bench. The senior standout went to the line for four FT attempts and drained three – and the Monks were awarded possession due to the tech - to clinch the huge conference victory and avenge a 73-68 setback at the hands of the Falcons last January.
In the first quarter, the Monks faced an 8-0 deficit after junior Jakara Murray-Leach (Norwalk, Conn.) connected for three consecutive buckets in the opening two minutes and 30 seconds. With the help of a 7-for-8 free throw shooting effort, St. Joe's closed out the opening period with an 18-5 run and headed into the second stanza leading 18-13.
Albertus senior Caitlyn Scott (White Plains, N.Y.) spearheaded the Falcons' dominant second quarter with 12 points as the visitors shot 56.3% (9-16) from the floor and outscored the hosts by a 25-7 margin en route to holding a 38-25 halftime advantage.
AMC senior Amanda Zdru (Stratford, Conn.) hit a three-pointer with five minutes left in the third period, giving her team a 48-37 lead before SJC posted a 10-4 run to make it a five-point game (52-47) going into the final frame.
In the deciding fourth quarter, the Monks earned their first lead since early in the second period on the heals of a 7-0 burst, which was capped by a Grace Ramsdell (Wells, Maine) three-pointer and St. Joe's on top, 62-61, with 3:22 to play. The teams swapped the lead twice in the closing minutes and Scott made a layup with 21 seconds left to knot the game at 65-apiece before Hurley was hacked and made three free throws on the Monks' final trip down the floor.
STATS OF THE GAME:
After making 8-of-31 (25.8%) of their attempts from the field in the first 20 minutes, the Monks shot an even 50.0% (16-32) in the third and fourth quarters combined…Saint Joseph's also shot 87.5% (14-16) from the free throw line in the victory.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Hurley led all players with 25 points – including 22 in the second half – with 10 rebounds and a pair of assists
- Ramsdell added 15 points and nine rebounds
- Freshman Maddie Russell (Oakfield, Maine) chipped in with nine points and four boards
- Sophomore Madison Lebel (Hermon, Maine) came off the bench to tally five points and five rebounds and was 3-for-3 from the FT line
LEADERS – ALBERTUS MAGNUS:
- Junior guard Diamond White (Hamden, Conn.) paced the Falcons with 19 points and pulled down five rebounds
- Murray-Leach registered a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds while notching four assists, three blocks, and a pair of steals
- Scott added 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the triumph, the Monks improve to 19-1 in the history of the series with Albertus Magnus College.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host Bates College on Tuesday in a non-conference tilt set to begin at 6:00 PM.
