BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Heather Framski (Prospect, Conn.) scored 15 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and blocked a pair of shots to help pace the University of St. Joseph women's basketball team to a 60-52 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in non-conference action at Tansey Gymnasium.
With the win the Blue Jays improve to 4-4 on the season while the Leopards fall to 2-2.
The host Leopards scored the first five points of the game as freshman Kellie Messer (Hollis, N.H.) hit a layup and sophomore Megan McLaughlin (Southington, Conn.) drained a 3-pointer. St. Joseph used a 14-0 run to take a 14-5 lead on a basket from senior Shauna Sullivan (Rocky Hill, Conn.). During the run senior Devon Diliberto (Waterbury, Conn.) had five points and Sullivan had four, while senior Mary Hyde (Derby, Conn.) hit a layup with 14:08 left to record her 1000th career point, making her the sixth player in program history to achieve that feat.
Wentworth trailed by nine (61-7) with 9:44 remaining but would score the next six points – capped off by a McLaughlin steal and basket – to cut the deficit to three with 6:06 remaining. However, the Blue Jays scored the next 11 points to take a 27-13 lead with 2:27 left and would lead by 10 (29-19) at the break.
St. Joseph led by as many as 17 with 10:03 left before the Leopards made a run, outscoring the Blue Jays 9-2 and cutting the lead to 10 when senior Kendra Kerr (Marshfield, Mass.) converted a three-point play. Kerr had five of the Leopards' nine points during this stretch while sophomore Rachael Camara (Fall River, Mass.) had four.
The Blue Jays would up their lead to as many as 15 with 3:44 left after Framski hit two free throws, however the Leopards would score the next seven points as Camara had five and senior Ashley Stowe (Charlestown, R.I.) added a pair and trailed, 56-48, with 1:56 remaining. Three free throws from junior Brianna Ferraro (Waterbury, Conn.) and one of two free throws from Hyde extended the lead to 12 (60-48) with 1:13 left before the Black & Gold scored the game's final four points to account for the eight-point margin.
Ferraro, junior Lindsey Dionne (Portland, Conn.), and Diliberto each added nine points for St. Joseph while Hyde had six points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Kerr led all scorers with 21 points, 13 of which came in the second half, and added four steals. Camara finished with 12 to go along with three assists and three steals. McLaughlin had nine points and three assists and Stowe grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Wentworth opens Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Wednesday when the Leopards host Salve Regina. The Blue Jays are idle until Friday when they host Mass. College.
