WATERVILLE, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (1–1) closed out its appearance in the Thomas College Tip-Off Tournament with a strong fourth quarter, surging past host Thomas College (1–1) for a 50–38 victory on Sunday afternoon at Larry Mahaney Gymnasium.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Both teams labored through a slow first quarter, with Thomas holding a 6–2 edge after ten minutes. The Monks found better rhythm in the second frame, sparked by an early three from senior guard Elisabeth Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) and strong interior work from senior forward Madison Lebel (Hermon, Maine) and freshman forward Lily Bean (Ellsworth, Maine), to take an 18–17 halftime lead.
Thomas answered with its best stretch of the afternoon in the third quarter behind standout play from Pryelle Kesse-Beda, outscoring SJC 17–11 to move ahead 34–29 entering the fourth.
Saint Joseph's completely flipped momentum in the final period. The Monks opened the quarter with improved ball movement and defensive pressure, igniting a decisive 21–4 run that put the game away. Freshman guard Layla Facchiano (Auburn, Maine) drilled three triples in the fourth and scored 11 of her team-high 13 points during the surge, while Bean and Stapelfeld controlled the glass and closed the door defensively.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's held a 19–3 advantage in second-chance points while out-rebounding Thomas by a 50-36 margin. The Monks' effort on the glass included 24 offensive boards. St. Joe's nailed five three-pointers during the 21-4 fourth-quarter surge and connected on nine trifectas overall in the victory.
NOTEWORTHY:
Today's win marks the first career victory for first-year Head Coach Chris Woodside. Named the eighth head coach in program history in April 2025, Woodside took over for legendary skipper Mike McDevitt '82 after spending five seasons on his staff as the top assistant.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
LEADERS – THOMAS:
- Pryelle Kesse-Beda: 14 points, 8 rebounds
- Kay McLellan: 7 points, 5 rebounds
- Emily Hagerty: 6 points
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the win, Saint Joseph's improves to 64-5 in the history of the series with Thomas College and has now defeated the Terriers in 15-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2008-09 campaign.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host Maine Maritime Academy in the team's 2025-26 home-opener on Wednesday at 7:00 PM
