Women's Hoops Drops 62-56 Decision to Monks

STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (13-5, 5-1 GNAC) outlasted Lasell College (5-13, 1-5 GNAC), 62-56, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball action at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday evening. Monks' Freshman forward Norma Waggett (Saugus, Mass.) tallied 13 points and six rebounds in the victory.

For the Lasers, junior guard Katie Stopera (Hollis, N.H.) netted a game-high 14 points with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, Breanna Cashman (Norwich, N.Y.) and Breeana Williams (Bloomfield, Conn.) scored 11 apiece, and Sherilyn Small (Springfield, Mass.) added eight points in a losing effort.

For the Monks, junior center Morgan Cahill (Yarmouth, Maine) recorded 13 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots, freshman guard Hayley Quirion (Augusta, Maine) scored 11 points off a 3-4 three-point shooting performance, sophomore guard Abbie Eastman (Norway, Maine) added eight points and nine caroms, and second-year Emily Kehoe (Perkinsville, Vt.) chipped in with eight points, four board and a pair of steals. Senior guard Sarah Assante (Standish, Maine) also dealt a career-high 11 assists with seven rebounds and three points in the victory.

Saint Joseph's held the lead from wire to wire, but did not own a double-digit lead until Waggett made a layup at the end of the first half to push the hosts' lead to 29-19 going into the break. Lasell cut the Monks' cushion down to three points on the heels of a 7-0 run late in the second stanza, but the hosts made six of eight free-throw attempts down the stretch to hold off the Lasers and improve to 5-1 in GNAC play.

The Monks held a 46-29 advantage on the glass and a 26-6 lead in bench points on the evening.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 11-1 in the history of the series with Lasell College and has now defeated the Lasers in 10-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2005-06 campaign.

Both teams return to the court Thursday, when Saint Joseph's plays at Rivier University at 7:00 p.m. and Lasell hosts Plymouth State University at 7:00 p.m.