STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (3-1) defeated UMaine-Farmington (4-2), 80-41, in a non-conference women's basketball contest at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Monks held a 13-12 edge after shooting just 31.3% (5-16) from the field – and 0-for-6 from three-point distance – in the first quarter but gained plenty of separation with a red-hot shooting effort in the second stanza. In the 10 minutes leading up to intermission, St. Joe's shot 58.8% (10-17) from the floor as six different players scored to help the hosts claim a 38-20 cushion heading into intermission. The Beavers countered with a 3-for-15 (20.0%) shooting effort and were outscored by a 25-8 score in the second frame.

Senior guard Cassandra Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) kicked off the third quarter with a three-pointer to make it a 41-20 game and Saint Joseph's went on to lead by at least 20 points for the remainder of the evening. The Monks held a game-high 40-point (72-32) advantage after Stapelfeld drained another trifecta with 6:48 left in the fourth quarter.

STATS OF THE GAME:

The teams posted contrasting shooting performances in what was the Monks' 2021-22 home opener, as SJC shot 46.0% (29-63) from the floor while UMF countered with a 27.6% (16-58) effort from the field. After the sluggish first quarter, the Monks shot 51.1% (24-47) in the final three quarters combined.

UMaine-Farmington was 5-for-10 from the floor in the first quarter but shot just 22.9% (11-48) in the last 30 minutes of play.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Stapelfeld led all players with 16 points and added seven assists in the victory
• Sophomore Hannah Talon (Windham, Maine) came off the bench to score 14 points with four rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals
• Junior forward Jayne Howe (Pembroke, Mass.) neared a double-double with 12 points and nine boards
• Senior guard Grace Philippon (Glenburn, Maine) added 12 points and a pair of caroms
• Sophomore Angelica Hurley (Groverland, Mass.) pulled down 11 rebounds with three points and two assists
• Sophomore Hailey Anderson (Beverly, Mass.) chipped in with seven points and three boards
• Senior Kaleigh Walsh (Windham, N.H.) contributed eight points, three rebounds, and two assists

LEADERS – UMAINE-FARMINGTON:

• Sophomore guard Jaycie Stevens (Pittston, Maine) netted 10 points in 12 minutes off the bench
• Senior forward McKenna Brodeur (Oakland, Maine) added six points, four rebounds, and three blocked shots
• Senior guard Tia Day (Monmouth, Maine) chipped in with five points, five boards, and three assists

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 43-27 all-time versus UMaine-Farmington and has now defeated the Beavers in 11-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2006-07 campaign.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's plays at University of Southern Maine on Sunday in the Annual Costello Cup game. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 PM.

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