FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL

Suffolk holds off Albertus
in 2OT, 50-minute track meet

Top seeds held true in Tuesday evening's 2020 GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, highlighted by a thrilling double-overtime contest between fifth-seeded Albertus Magnus College and fourth-seeded Suffolk University, with the host Rams prevailing by a final score of 103-95.

With no reseeding throughout the playoffs, the advancing teams will play in the semifinals on Thursday, February 27, with top-seeded Emmanuel hosting Suffolk (6:00 PM) and second-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine hosting third-seeded Regis College at 6:30 PM. 

The championship game will be hosted by the highest seed next Saturday (Feb. 29) afternoon. The 2020 GNAC Champion will earn the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Tournament, as the field will be announced on Monday, March 3 at 2:30 PM. Be sure to catch all the 2020 tournament action live on thegnac.tv or watch on one of our four custom digital streaming apps.

NO. 3 Regis 61, NO. 6 Colby-Sawyer 48

WESTON, Mass. – Third-seeded Regis College defeated sixth-seeded Colby-Sawyer College, 61-48, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal contest at Higgins Court Tuesday evening.

Regis improves to 15-11 and will travel to Standish, Maine, to face second-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6:30 PM after the Monks held on to defeat the Johnson & Wales Wildcats, 59-54. Colby-Sawyer ends its season at 18-8. 

Regis will be making its second trip to Saint Joseph's College in six days, as the Monks defeated the Pride on the final day of the regular season Saturday, 62-46.

First-year Pam Gonzalez (Revere, Mass.) paced the Pride with 18 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Senior Taylor Iorfino(Monroe, Conn.) was 8-of-10 from the floor for 16 points. Senior Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) contributed 13 points and nine rebounds.

Senior Lexie Hamilton led the Chargers with 20. Senior Tianna Sugars scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

The Pride raced out to a 6-0 lead before a Kristen Donaghey layup got Colby-Sawyer on the board four minutes into the contest. The home team used full-court pressure to increase its advantage to 11-4. Hamilton then drilled a long trey to pull the Chargers to within a possession with three minutes to go in the first. Regis closed the half with a pair of free throws by Veasey and a bucket by Gonzalez to lead 15-7 after 10 minutes.

Hamilton opened the second frame with her second three-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to 15-10. With the score 17-11, the teams traded three-point baskets on consecutive possessions to make the score 20-14. Arie Searcy (Santa Rosa, Calif.) then grabbed an offensive rebound and made a layup to force a Colby-Sawyer timeout with 3:50 to go in the half. Iorfino ended the half with a jumper in the final seconds to give Regis a 24-16 halftime lead.

The third quarter began with back-and-forth action as each side made a pair of buckets to make the score 28-20. Three points by Sugars brought the Chargers to within five, 28-23, with 6:15 on the clock. The Pride responded with a 10-0 run over the next five minutes to take their largest lead of the game, 38-23. Colby-Sawyer first-year Michaela Kelly then scored consecutive buckets to close the quarter and the gap to 38-27.

The visitors scored the first five points of the fourth, but Regis answered with nine points to put the margin back at 15 points. Midway through the frame, Hamilton converted a four-point play to give the Chargers life at 51-41. Hamilton later made a pair of free throws to pull the Chargers within eight with 3:30 to play. After a Regis turnover, Hamilton then hit a trey to make the score 51-46, but Gonzalez responded with a triple of her own on the ensuing possession to give the Pride a cushion that they would not relinquish.

As a team, Regis shot 38.5 percent (25-of-65) from the field, including 6-of-19 from behind the three-point line, but just 5-of-11 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Colby-Sawyer shot 36.2 percent (17-of-47) from the field, including 7-of-22 from behind the three-point line, and 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the free throw line.

The Pride finished the game with a 42-33 edge in rebounding. Regis scored 24 points off 21 Colby-Sawyer turnovers, while the Pride committed 13 turnovers leading to 11 Charger points.

Courtesy of Regis Athletics Communications.

NO. 4 Suffolk 103, NO. 5 Albertus Magnus 95 (2OT)

BOSTON, Mass. – Every player showed sparks of greatness to contribute to an edge-of-your-seat victory as the fourth-seeded Suffolk women's basketball bested fifth seeded Albertus Magnus in double overtime in the GNAC Quarterfinals Tuesday night at the Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. Suffolk now heads across town Thursday, Feb. 27 for a league semifinal showdown with regular-season champion Emmanuel. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
A game-opening 8-2 Suffolk run helped the Rams build a 17-11 cushion at the 3:43 minute mark. Out of a Falcons timeout, the kept the up-tempo game going. First Emily Welling and Jordan Hipwell coupled hoops together before Natalie Fraioli hit back-to-back buckets, one inside the arc and one behind it, to help the hosts go up 13, 28-15, at the end of the first 10 minutes.  

A sluggish second stanza cost Suffolk. The Falcons flew out on a 10-4 stretch to make things interesting and slice the gap to seven, 32-25, with 5:41 to go.  

See-saw action ensued after Suffolk took a timeout, which allowed the Rams to remain ahead, 41-35, as the teams headed to the locker rooms.   

The back-and-forth affair was present throughout the third quarter. Suffolk never relinquished the lead though and sat in front, 60-58, after 30 minutes.

Albertus Magnus began the fourth frame with nine straight points to flip the script in its favor, 67-60. The Falcons largest lead of the night tested Suffolk to play catchup with just over six minutes remaining in regulation.  

Freebies from Jenni-Rose DiCecco jump started an 8-2 Suffolk stretch that cut the margin down to one, 69-68, with 3:09 on the clock. 

A traditional three-point play by Rah Rah Thompson restored a four-point distance that was made up with layups from DiCecco and Alexis Hackett that leveled the playing field at 72-all with 1:41 to go. 

Shyla Osmond had three chances to regain the edge for the Falcons and DiCecco's last second jumper was off the mark to force OT.  

The lead switched three times in the opening action of the first overtime and would go on to exchange twice more until DiCecco put in a layup with 43 seconds to go to even things up again at 83-83.  

The Falcons had a chance to win it, but Osmond's layup with two seconds to go was off the mark and the game would need more time once again. 

Allie Lopes sparked Suffolk in the second OT. The sophomore sunk back-to-back pull-up jumpers to give the Rams the edge. Osmond kept Albertus Magnus in it and equalized matters at 89-all at the 3:44 minute mark.  

An old fashion three-point play by Hackett sparked eight straight points for Suffolk that put the game away. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• DiCecco was on the verge of a triple-double effort as her 29-point, 10-assist, eight-rebound night was just two caroms shy of the milestone. She added three takeaways and one block. 
• Hackett had a double-double with 23 points and 10 caroms to go with two helpers. 
• Welling notched 13 points off the bench, shooting 5-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-4 at the line. She chipped in five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. 
• DeComo pitched in 14 points, four boards, three dimes, and two takeaways. 
• Lopes registered 10 points, going 4-for-5 from the field. She contributed eight boards and two handouts as well. 
• Suffolk shot 45.5 percent (35-77) on the night, 33.3 percent (9-27) from downtown and 75.0 percent at the charity stripe. 
• The Rams won the boards battle, 50-48. 
• The Falcons received a game-high 46-point performance from Osmond.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Albertus Magnus met in the postseason for the fifth time first since 2010. 
• The Rams improved to 4-1 in the GNAC tournament against the Falcons, and 18-8 all-time against AMC. 
• Suffolk bested Albertus Magnus for the second straight meeting.  
• The Rams advance to the semifinals for the 12th time, third straight season. 
• As the fourth seed, the Suffolk will advance to the second round for the fifth time, second straight season. 
• Suffolk needed extra time in the conference tournament for the first time in conference history. 
• The Rams went into OT for the second time this season. 
• Suffolk recorded an OT win for the first time since a 90-87 triumph at Framingham State Dec. 9, 2017. 
• The double overtime outing was a first for the blue-and-gold since falling at Bridgewater State, 68-58, over 50 minutes of play Oct. 29, 2018. 
• The 103 offensive output marks the second time in program history that Suffolk hit the century marker in scoring. The first and last time the Rams registered 100 points with a 104-99 overtime victory against Albertus Magnus Feb. 13, 2016. 
• DiCecco notched her first double-double of the season, sixth of her career. 
• DiCecco produced personal-bests in assists (10) and free throws made (12). 
• Hackett had her 33rd career double-double, eighth of the season. 

Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics Communications.

NO. 1 Emmanuel 65, NO. 8 Norwich 39

BOSTON, Mass. – After a slow start for both squads, first ranked Emmanuel College exploded for 38 points in the final two periods to take down the eighth ranked Norwich University in the quarterfinal round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference playoffs on Tuesday evening. Senior duo Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (Cambridge, Mass.) and Kayla Weaver (West Haven, Conn.) combined for 40 points and 23 rebounds to the semifinal round on Thursday, February 27.  

While the Cadets season has come to a close, #1 Emmanuel will host #4 Suffolk University on Thursday evening at 7PM in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference semifinal.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Both teams were only able to combine for a total of 18 points in the first quarter, but Ramirez Tejeda was able to keep the Saints ahead after the first with eight points in the paint to lead the Cadets, 11-7.
• Weaver started to come alive early in the second scoring on back to back jump shots and two made free throws, 25-10, but Norwich's Kailynne Frederick (Adams, Mass.) and Emily Schromm (North Attleboro, Mass.) drained two late period buckets to close the second down by twelve points, 27-15.
• The Cadets worked early in the third to close the gap to four with back to back three-point shots by Kristieann DeSilvio (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Riley Bennett (Hopkinton, N.H.), 27-23, but the Saints continued to work the inside-out that created a layup for Caitlin Cipriano (Waterbury, Conn.) and shot behind the arc by Korie Mathis (Deluth, Ga.), closing out the third ahead, 43-33.
• The fourth quarter was a scoring barrage by the Saints, starting with a jump shot by Weaver and two layups by Ramirez-Tejeda, 49-35. DeSilvio and Frederick worked to keep Norwich in reach, but a seven-point streak by Weaver solidified the game for EC, 65-39.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Ramirez-Tejeda recorded her nineteenth double-double of the year with 21 points and 17 rebounds, while Weaver added on another 19 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists.
• Norwich was led by Frederick's twelve-point performance while teammate DeSilvio was right behind with ten points of her own.
• EC won in almost every category, including out rebounding the Cadets 50-36 and creating 27 turnovers off of 12 steals.

Courtesy of Emmanuel Athletics Communications.

NO. 2 Saint Joseph's Maine 59, NO. 7 JWU 54

STANDISH, Maine – Second-seeded Saint Joseph's College (18-8) outlasted #7 Johnson & Wales University (13-13), 59-54, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday night.

With the win, Saint Joseph's advances to the semifinal round of the GNAC tourney for the fifth-consecutive season and will host third-seeded Regis College on Thursday at 6:30 PM. Regis defeated #6 Colby-Sawyer College, 61-48, in other first round action this evening to advance to the GNAC semifinals for the first time in three seasons as a member of the conference.

For Johnson & Wales, the setback signals the end of the 2019-20 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks held at least a share of the lead for the entire contest and was up by as many as 16 points late in the third quarter, but the Wildcats mounted a late run to create an interesting finish.

Trailing 52-40 with 7:11 remaining, JWU outscored SJC by a 14-4 margin during the subsequent five minutes and trailed by two (56-54) after senior center Maddy Moro (Catawissa, Pa.) hit a jump shot with 1:51 on the clock. With 30 seconds left, the Wildcats pulled down a defensive rebound and advanced the ball to midcourt with a timeout.

With a chance to tie or go ahead with one shot, the visitors made a crucial mistake with a turnover via a three-second violation with just six seconds to go. The Monks went 3-for-4 from the FT line in the closing seconds and freshman Bri Jordan (Gray, Maine) blocked a potential game-tying three-point shot to close out the victory.

STATS OF THE GAME:
The Monks outrebounded the Wildcats by a 50-24 margin – including an 18-2 lead on the offensive glass – and held a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint…St. Joe's also held a 20-6 cushion in bench points.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Sophomore guard Alyson Fillion (Bedford, N.H.) scored 15 points with six rebounds and three assists
• Senior guard Julia Quinn (Fryeburg, Maine) added 12 points and three assists
• Jordan came off the bench to score 11 points with eight rebounds
• Sophomore guard Grace Philippon (Glenburn, Maine) added seven points and seven boards
• Junior forward Jordan Jabar (Waterville, Maine) chipped in with six points, six caroms, and two assists
• Sophomore guard Kaleigh Walsh (Windham, N.H.) pulled down a game-high nine rebounds

LEADERS – JOHNSON & WALES:

• Senior forward Tera-nay Lee (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored 14 points with three steals, three blocks, and two assists
• Moro added 12 points and seven boards
• Senior guard Tiondra Hands (Boynton Beach, Fla.) contributed 11 points and five assists
• Freshman guard Peyton Ryan (Nashua, N.H.) sparked the Wildcats off the bench with a pair of three-pointers for six total points

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph's is now 14-6 in the history of the series with Johnson & Wales and has defeated the Wildcats in seven-consecutive meetings.

Courtesy of SJC Athletics Communications.

Semifinals - Thursday, February 27 (at high seeds)
Game 5: #4 Suffolk vs. #1 Emmanuel - 7:00 PM
Game 6: #3 Regis vs. #2 Saint Joseph's of Maine - 6:30 PM

Championship - Saturday, February 29 
Game 7: At highest remaining seed

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

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