NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Norwich University (6-8, 2-0 GNAC) weathered a spirited comeback attempt to defeat Saint Joseph's College (7-8, 2-1 GNAC), 70-63, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball contest on Saturday afternoon.
MILESTONE MET:
Senior guard Elisabeth Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) entered the day with 984 career points and reached the 1,000-point mark just 1:03 into the third quarter, scooping up a loose ball near midcourt and finishing a fastbreak layup.
Stapelfeld closed the afternoon with a career-high 27 points, becoming the 28th member of the Monks' 1,000-Point Club and the program's first to hit the milestone since former teammate Angelica Hurley '24 did so on February 10, 2024. Her name will soon be added to the gym banner alongside her sister, Cassandra, a 2022 Saint Joseph's graduate who totaled 1,683 career points.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Norwich set the tone early, limiting Saint Joseph's to 2-for-18 shooting in the opening quarter while building a 20-10 lead after 10 minutes. The Cadets stayed in control throughout the second period and carried an 18-point cushion into the break, 44-26.
Saint Joseph's responded with its best stretch in the third, outscoring Norwich 20-8 to close within six, 52-46, heading to the fourth. The Monks continued to chip away in the final stanza and twice made it a one-possession game, but Norwich answered with an 8-0 run to build an 11-point advantage (65-54) with 3:56 left and sealed the seven-point win at the free-throw line.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Elisabeth Stapelfeld: 27 points, 5 steals, 4 rebounds
- Madison Lebel (Sr., Hermon, Maine): 9 rebounds, 6 points
- Hayden Madore (So., Hallowell, Maine): 5 points, 2 assists
- Layla Facchiano (Fr., Auburn, Maine): 7 points, 4 rebounds
- Maddie Russell (Jr., Oakfield, Maine): 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
LEADERS – NORWICH:
- Cassidy Kittredge: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
- Maggi Ellsworth: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 8 steals
- Jessie Zimmerman: 11 points, 3 rebounds
- Kiley O'Brien: 9 points, 2 steals
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the loss, Saint Joseph's slipped to 28-8 in the history of the matchup with Norwich University. For the Cadets, the win halted a 13-game losing streak to the Monks that began in 2015-16.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host Emmanuel College on Tuesday in a conference showdown set to start at 5:30 PM.