NEW LONDON, N.H. – January 8, 2019 – The Colby-Sawyer College women's basketball team earned a 70-49 victory over the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in the program's first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest.

Colby-Sawyer women's basketball has now played a game in four conferences throughout the program's history. In each instance when the team played its conference opener, the Chargers were victorious. In the 1993-94 New England Women's Athletic Conference (NEWAC) opener, Colby-Sawyer defeated Rivier 89-79. In the 1995-96 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) opener, the Chargers cruised to an 86-48 victory over New England College. Most recently in 2011-12, Colby-Sawyer defeated Lyndon State College, 85-43, in the program's first North Atlantic Conference (NAC) game.

Colby-Sawyer has won four straight to improve to 9-4 overall and 1-0 in the GNAC. The Chargers will continue a busy week with a road game at Johnson & Wales on Thursday before travelling to Lasell on Saturday. USJ drops to 2-12 overall and 0-2 in conference action. The Blue Jays travel to Saint Joseph's (Maine) for a 1 p.m. tip on Saturday.

Colby-Sawyer junior Kristen Donaghey (Franklin, Mass.) recorded game-highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Lexie Hamilton (Sunapee, N.H.) finished with 13 points, 13 assists and six steals. She moved into fourth on the all-time assists list with 435. Sophomore Joslin Wainwright (Plainfield, N.H.) added 13 points, while junior Tianna Sugars (Oxford, Maine) registered 12 points and nine rebounds.

USJ was led by reigning GNAC Rookie of the Week, Silvana Barcomb (Middletown, Conn.). She scored 14 points in 26 minutes off the bench. First-year Cheyenne-Mone Smith (Wethersfield, Conn.) scored 11 points and brought down six rebounds. First-year Lindsey Montminy (Vernon, Conn.) was the third Blue Jay to reach double figures with 10 points.

The teams traded the first four baskets of the game and then Colby-Sawyer went on a 9-0 run to take a 13-4 lead. Each side would add one more jumper apiece in the final two minutes to make the score 15-6 in favor of Colby-Sawyer after 10 minutes.

USJ began the second quarter with a 7-0 run, capped by a Smith layup, to cut the deficit to 15-13. After a Wainwright bucket put the Chargers back in front by four, Smith answered with a jumper to make the score 17-15. The action would go back and forth for the next few minutes and Colby-Sawyer held a 24-22 lead with 3:12 left. Back-to-back threes by Mackenzie Buzzell and Hamilton put the home team safely in front 30-22 with less than two minutes to go. Colby-Sawyer took a 33-26 into halftime.  

The Chargers increased their lead by outscoring USJ 16-11 in the third quarter, holding the Blue Jays to 31.3% from the floor. Colby-Sawyer shot 53.8% in the fourth quarter and won the frame 21-12 to take the game 70-49.

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