Women's Basketball Unable to Hang on Against USJ

WESTON, Mass. - A big third quarter propelled the Blue Jays to a victory over Regis College as the Pride lost, 56-50, to the University of Saint Joseph Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's basketball action at Higgins Court.

Courtney Doherty (Willimantic, Conn.) led the Pride offense with 15 points while adding four steals. Pam Gonzalez (Revere, Mass.) contributed 11 points, six steals, and six rebounds, while Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds. Olivia Pacheco (Waterford, Conn.) went 5-for-8 coming off the bench, scoring 10 points while Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass. ) led Regis with 11 rebounds.

After going down 6-3 early in the contest, Doherty hit her first three of the night to tie the game at six points apiece. A layup by Zancan gave the Pride their first lead of the contest followed by two straight layups by Pacheco to put the Pride on top, 16-10, after one quarter of play. Regis held onto a slight lead in the second quarter, as they were outscored in the period, 12-8, leaving a slim two-point advantage heading into the half.

The Blue Jay offense caught fire in the third, as the visitors shot 12-for-14 in the third, scoring 24 points on 85.7 percent shooting from the field. Saint Joseph was led in the quarter by Maya Slisz who scored 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the third. Late in the quarter, Doherty and Gonzalez combined for 10 points to mitigate the damage for the Pride.

Trailing by 12 to start the fourth quarter, a layup by Doherty started the ball rolling for the Pride as they fought to get back in the game. A pair of free throws by Whalen put Regis within six late in the quarter but the Blue Jays would ultimately hold onto the lead.

Jordan Ouellette earned a double-double, leading the University of Saint Joseph with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Jania Oliver contributed 13 points and seven rebounds coming off the bench while Slisz finished the night with 11 points.

Regis College (3-8, 3-2 GNAC) hosts Emmanuel on Wednesday, January 11, beginning at 7:00 p.m. while the University of Saint Joseph plays Albertus Magnus on the road on the same day, starting at 5:30 p.m.