Blue Jays Dominate Dean, 75-20, On Senior Day

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team made it a Senior Day to remember, dominating at home against Dean College, 75-20, on Saturday afternoon inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. All 14 Blue Jays recorded points on the day. The 55-point margin of victory is the second biggest in program history, trailing a 66-point win against Bay Path in the 2005-06 season. With the result, the Blue Jays improve to 15-9 overall and 11-6 in the GNAC, while the Bulldogs move to 0-21 overall with a 0-16 mark in conference play.

GAME INFORMATION 
Score: USJ 75, Dean 20
Records: USJ (15-9, 11-6 GNAC), Dean (0-21, 0-16 GNAC)
Location: James A. Calhoun Gymnasium (West Hartford, Conn.)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Dean would take an early lead to start the game, but Amanda Fudge (Middletown, Conn.) turned defense into offense, picking off a pass before finishing at the other end to tie the game at 2-2 with 7:58 on the clock. Khalise Harris (South Windsor, Conn.) gave the Blue Jays the lead, drawing a foul after a drive to the basket and knocking down one-of-two free throws to take a 3-2 lead for USJ. The free throw kickstarted a 10-0 USJ run, featuring buckets from Fudge and Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.), which saw the Blue Jays hold a 10-2 lead entering the media timeout at 4:43.

USJ extended the run to 12-2 after Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) sunk two free throws, increasing the lead to 12-2, with 3:31 on the clock. Dean put an end to the run, but the Blue Jays quickly responded with a 5-0 run, with Jelly Frigo (Canton, Conn.) scoring every point, to reestablish a 17-4 edge with 1:40 left in the first quarter. USJ continued to roll, as Olivia Heslin (Plainville, Conn.) added a fast break layup to end the first, giving the home team a 21-4 edge after the first period.

The Blue Jays continued to dominate in the second, opening the quarter on a 12-0 run, increasing the gap to 33-4 with 5:43 left to play. During the run, USJ played tremendous defense, forcing numerous turnovers that led to fast break layups. The Bulldogs put a stop to the onslaught, sinking a pair of free throws to cut the gap to 34-6 with 4:29 left in the half. The Blue Jays kept their foot on the gas to close the half, as Harris drained an easy layup with 15 seconds left to send USJ into the break leading, 38-8.

The third quarter was all USJ, as the Blue Jays opened on a 10-0 run, increasing the lead to 48-8 at the 4:18 mark. During the stretch, Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.), Fudge, Harris and Ouellette all recorded points. Dean would stop the stretch with a tough shot of their own, but the game continued to be all USJ, as the hosts closed the quarter on an 8-0 run to hold a 56-10 lead entering the fourth quarter.

USJ continued to pour it on in the fourth, as Shannon Burns (Naugatuck, Conn.), Emma Carpenter (Brooklyn, Conn.) and Emiah Soto (Wolcott, Conn.) each recorded baskets, giving the Blue Jays a 66-12 lead as we hit the media timeout with 4:57 left in the game. Coming out of the timeout, Burns would knock down a triple, followed by a driving layup from Julia Olson (North Scituate, R.I.) which gave USJ a 71-14 edge with 3:22 remaining. Olson's bucket ensured that all 14 members of the USJ roster recorded points. USJ continued to roll, taking home a 75-20 victory on Senior Day.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Harris and Slisz tied for a team-high 11 points.
• Fudge joined them in double figures, dropping 10 points.
• Ouellette paced the team in rebounding, hauling in 10 boards.
• Harris was a menace on defense, notching a career-high eight steals.
• Fudge and Soto were the primary playmakers, dishing out three assists each.
• USJ outshot Dean, 49.2 percent (32 of 65) to 16.7 percent (7 of 42).
• The Blue Jays did not allow a single three pointer by the Bulldogs.
• The eight first-half points for Dean were the fewest points allowed in single half this season for USJ.
• All 14 Blue Jays recorded points on the day.
• USJ dominated on the glass, outrebounding Dean 40-29.
• The Blue Jays were ferocious in transition, scoring 32 fast break points.
• USJ forced 32 turnovers, scoring 41 points off the Bulldogs' miscues.
• USJ remained perfect against Dean, increasing the lead in the all-time series to 5-0.

UP NEXT

Women's basketball rounds out the 2022-23 regular season on the road at Johnson & Wales University on Tuesday, February 14. Tipoff against the Wildcats inside the Wildcat Center in Providence, R.I., is set for 5:30 p.m.

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