STANDISH, Maine – #2 Saint Joseph's College (17-10, 10-2 GNAC) will play at #1 Emmanuel College (21-6, 12-0 GNAC) in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday at 12:00 PM.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The GNAC champion earns an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship, which begins Friday, March 6.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Saint Joseph's:

Saint Joseph's advanced to the GNAC Championship for the 11th time in the last 14 seasons with two home playoff wins on Mike McDevitt Court at the Harold Alfond Center: an 87-47 quarterfinal victory over #7 University of Saint Joseph on Wednesday and an 80-53 semifinal win over #6 Albertus Magnus College on Friday.

In the quarterfinal, the Monks led 18-10 after one quarter and controlled the game throughout, totaling 54 points in the paint, 21 points off turnovers, and a season-high 25 assists while shooting 51.5% (35-for-68) — the team's second-best shooting performance of the season. Elisabeth Stapelfeld scored 27 points, Hayden Madore added 16, Madison Lebel posted 12 points and 16 rebounds, and Logan Brown and Maddie Russell added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

In the semifinal, Saint Joseph's turned a 23-21 game into a 31-21 lead with a 10-0 second-quarter run, then used a 13-0 third-quarter burst to pull away. The Monks closed with 26 fourth-quarter points and a 53-27 rebounding edge, led by Lebel's 15 points and 25 rebounds.

Emmanuel:

Emmanuel will play in the program's 24th GNAC Championship after defeating #8 New England College, 62-38, in Wednesday's quarterfinal and #4 Norwich University, 71-57, in Friday's semifinal.

In the quarterfinal, the Saints used their trademark defense to take control early. Emmanuel led 17-9 after one quarter and broke the game open in the second with 15 straight points, holding NEC to just three points in the period for a 32-12 halftime lead. The Saints forced 13 second-quarter turnovers, limited the Pilgrims to 23.6% shooting, and were led by Tyra Blye's 14 points. Geanna Bryant added 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Kendyl Ouimette scored 10.

In the semifinal, Emmanuel again leaned on defensive pressure to pull away from Norwich in the second half. The Saints led 34-29 at the break despite shooting under 30% from the field, but forced 30 turnovers and used a key third-quarter surge before sealing the win with a 12-2 fourth-quarter run. Blye finished with 16 points and six steals, and Bryant added six points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

BRACKETOLOGY:

Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Feb. 25

#1 Emmanuel College def. #8 New England College, 62-38
#2 Saint Joseph's College def. #7 University of Saint Joseph, 87-47
#6 Albertus Magnus College def. #3 Regis College, 65-60
#4 Norwich University def. #5 Lasell University, 75-61

Semifinals – Friday, Feb. 27

#1 Emmanuel College def. #4 Norwich University, 71-57
#2 Saint Joseph's College def. #6 Albertus Magnus College, 80-53

Championship – Sunday, March 1

#2 Saint Joseph's College at #1 Emmanuel College, 12:00 PM

SEASON AT A GLANCE:

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks are riding a 10-game winning streak and own a 5-6 road record this season.
• Nationally, Saint Joseph's ranks 13th in three-pointers made per game (8.4) and 20th in three-point attempts per game (26.4).
• In GNAC play, SJC leads the conference in 3-pointers made (9.8), attempted (28.9), and three-point percentage (33.7%), and ranks second in scoring average (74.2), fewest turnovers per game (14.5), and scoring defense (55.3).
• Six different Monks are averaging at least 7.1 points per game.

Emmanuel:

• The Saints have won six straight and 12 of their last 13 games (since Jan. 20).
• In GNAC play, Emmanuel leads the conference in 16 statistical categories, including scoring offense (78.8), scoring defense (51.5), field-goal percentage (44.0%), opponents' turnovers per game (27.8), steals per game (16.8), and assists per game (19.2).
• Emmanuel ranks sixth nationally in steals per game (16.4), seventh in bench points per game (33.1) and turnovers forced per game (27.3), and 11th in turnover margin (8.78).
• Four Saints are averaging at least 8.2 points per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• (#23) Elisabeth Stapelfeld (Sr., G, Brookline, N.H.) – 14.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.6 APG; 44.9% FG, 34.5% 3PT, 75.7% FT. Ranks fifth in the GNAC in scoring average and free-throw percentage, sixth in total points (373), and became the 28th member of the Monks' 1,000-Point Club earlier this season.
• (#15) Logan Brown (Sr., G, Brunswick, Maine) – 12.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.4 APG; 37.2% FG, 38.4% 3PT, 70.2% FT. Leads the GNAC and ranks third nationally in three-pointers made (84).
• (#24) Madison Lebel (Sr., F, Hermon, Maine) – 9.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG; 41.1% FG. Ranks among the GNAC leaders in defensive rebounds (2nd), rebounding average (3rd), total rebounds (3rd), and offensive rebounds (5th). Her 11.8 RPG is the fifth-highest single-season average in program history, and her current rebound total ranks seventh.

Emmanuel:

• (#11) Tyra Blye – 11.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG; 41.0% FG, 70.5% FT. Ranks fifth in the GNAC in steals (61) and 12th in field goals made (123).
• (#24) Nylah Mitchell – 10.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG; 54.2% FG. Ranks second in the GNAC in field-goal percentage and points per 40 minutes (25.8).
• (#00) Geanna Bryant – 8.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.8 APG; 44.7% FG, 33.3% 3FG, 75.5% FT. Leads the GNAC in steals (110) and ranks fourth in assists (99).

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's: Chris Woodside (17-10, .630) – 1st collegiate season (6th overall)

Woodside was named the Monks' head coach in April 2025 after serving as the program's top assistant for five seasons under Mike McDevitt '83. He brings more than a decade of coaching experience, including a Class C state title at Calais High School and a conference championship as an assistant at Schreiner University (Texas).

Emmanuel: Andy Yosinoff (950-328, .743) – 49th collegiate season

Now in his 49th season, Yosinoff is one of the most accomplished coaches in NCAA women's basketball history, with 18 GNAC Championships, 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 28 20-win seasons. Emmanuel teams have posted a 342-27 (.927) record in GNAC play since 1995.

THE LAST TIME WE MET – Emmanuel def. Saint Joseph's, 72-46 (1/20/26, Standish):

Emmanuel handed Saint Joseph's its only GNAC loss of the season, pulling away behind a dominant second quarter. After a sluggish start, the Saints closed the opening period on a 13-5 run to take a 17-8 lead, then shot 70.6% (12-for-17) in the second quarter while forcing eight turnovers to build a 44-15 halftime advantage. Emmanuel scored 33 points off 36 Monks turnovers and 56 of its 72 points in the paint. Stapelfeld led Saint Joseph's with 11 points, while Lebel grabbed 12 rebounds.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the January 20 loss, Saint Joseph's fell to 13-25 all-time versus Emmanuel College.

GNAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:

Saint Joseph's has appeared in the GNAC Tournament in 17 of 18 seasons as a league member and owns a 32-10 conference postseason record since joining in 2007. The Monks won their first GNAC title in 2014, captured three straight from 2016-18, and repeated as champions in 2023 and 2024.

Emmanuel is making its 30th consecutive GNAC Tournament appearance and owns a league-best 71-11 postseason record with 18 titles. Sunday marks the Saints' 24th GNAC Championship game appearance.

Head-to-head in the GNAC Tournament, Emmanuel holds a 5-4 edge over Saint Joseph's. Emmanuel won title-game matchups in 2012, 2019, 2020, and 2022, while the Monks won championships in 2016, 2017 (OT), and 2023, and also claimed a 72-65 quarterfinal win last season (2/25/25).