STANDISH, Maine – #2 Saint Joseph's College (21-6) defeated #3 Albertus Magnus Falcons (17-10) 67-60 in the GNAC women's basketball Semifinal game Thursday night at home. 

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
St. Joseph's (ME) rallied with a strong second half to defeat Albertus Magnus 67-60 in tonight's conference semifinal. The victory propels the Monks into Saturday's championship game, where they'll host USJ on their home court.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Saint Joseph's College of Maine women's basketball team fought back from an early deficit to defeat Albertus Magnus 67-60 in Thursday's conference semifinal, earning a spot in the championship game.

After trailing 18-12 in the first quarter, the Monks found their rhythm in the third, outscoring the Falcons 20-12 to seize control of the game. Grace Ramsdell led the charge with a strong double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while Abby Dube added 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

Logan Brown also stepped up, hitting 3-of-7 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. The Monks' bench was a key factor, outscoring Albertus Magnus's reserves 25-0.

For the Falcons, Diamond White had a game-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, and Caitlyn Scott and Jakara Murray-Leach each grabbed 9 rebounds. Despite White's strong performance, Albertus Magnus struggled with their outside shooting, making only 25% of their three-pointers.

The turning point came in the third quarter when Saint Joseph's caught fire, shooting 53.8% from the field and 50% from three-point range. The Monks also dominated the boards, outrebounding the Falcons 43-32, including 18 offensive rebounds that resulted in 16 second-chance points.

Saint Joseph's bounced back after a slow start, shooting just 21.1% in the opening quarter, to eventually build an 11-point lead and secure the win.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Grace Ramsdell (Wells, ME) led the Monks with a double-double scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds; she also had two assists 
• Angelica Hurley (Groveland, MA) notched 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals
• Logan Brown (Brunswick, ME) tallied 12 points, two assists, and a steal
• Abby Dube (Groveland, MA) added 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal
• Madison Lebel (Hermon, ME) recorded nine rebounds in the victory

LEADERS –ALBERTUS MAGNUS COLLEGE:

• Diamond White recorded a game high of 21 points with two assists and two steals
• Caitlyn Scott notched 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and one steal
• Jakara Murray-Leach added 13 points, nine rebounds, and one assist