WEST HARTFORD Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team bounced back from a tough defeat on Tuesday, completing the regular season-sweep over the Elms College Blazers, 65-55, inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn., Thursday night. The victory secures a spot in the 2023 GNAC Playoffs for USJ. With the result, the Blue Jays improve to 14-8 overall and 10-5 in the GNAC, while the Blazers fall to 8-13 overall with a 3-11 mark in conference play.

GAME INFORMATION 
Score: USJ 65, Elms 55
Records: USJ (14-8, 10-5 GNAC), Elms (8-13, 3-11 GNAC)
Location: James A. Calhoun Gymnasium (West Hartford, Conn.) 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The game started quiet as neither offense could get going, into Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) knocked down a sweet turnaround jumpshot inside the paint, giving USJ an early 2-0 lead at the 8:21 mark. The Blazers quickly fired back with a jumper of their own, before knocking down a pair of free throws to take a 4-2 edge with 7:08 remaining in the first. The lead would not last long, as Ouellette levelled the score with an inside jumper, before Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) sunk an easy driving layup, swinging the lead back in USJ's favor, 6-4, heading into the media timeout at 3:47.

Ouellette would come up big again for the Blue Jays, increasing the run to 8-0 after ap air of baskets, increasing the gap to six, 10-4, at the 2:22 mark. Elms put an end to the stretch with a three pointer, but Olivia Heslin (Plainville, Conn.) finished a second-chance opportunity for USJ, giving the hosts a 12=7 edge with 1:30 left to play in the first quarter. Ouellette continued her monstrous quarter, scoring two more baskets, including one to beat the buzzer, to see the Blue Jays end the first quarter on a 6-0 stretch, taking a 16-7 lead heading into the second quarter.

Elms looked to gain momentum to begin the second quarter, cutting the gap to eight, 18-10, forcing USJ into calling a timeout with 8:35 on the clock. The Blue Jays were firing on all cylinders out of the timeout, as Amanda Fudge (Middletown, Conn.) made an easy layup, followed by Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) turned defense into offense, picking off a pass before finishing on the other end to increase the lead to 22-10 at the 7:22 mark. The Blazers would knock down a triple, pulling back within single digits, but a Janai Oliver (Hartford, Conn.) free throw extended the gap back to 10, 23-13, with 6:09 on the clock. The Blazers continued their hot shooting from three-point land, using back-to-back triples to pull within eight, 27-19, with 4:20 left in the half. Elms continued to fight back, getting within six, but a Julia Olson(North Scituate, R.I.) free throw and a Fudge midrange jumper saw the Blue Jays take a 30-21 lead entering the halftime break.

Elms started the second half strong, using a 4-0 stretch to cut the gap to five, 30-25, but Ouellette made a tough layup through contact, while Slisz drained a midrange jumper to reestablish a nine-point lead, 34-25 at the 8:23 mark. The Blazers fired back with another 4-0 run, but a 6-2 USJ stretch, capped off by a second chance layup from Ouellette, reestablish a 40-31 edge at the 6:06 mark. Elms would score a layup to cut the gap back to seven as the third quarter reached a media timeout with 4:07 left in the third. The Blue Jays exploded offensively out of the timeout, going on a 6-0 run that saw Ouellette, Verboven and Jelly Frigo (Canton, Conn.) all score buckets, to increase the gap back to double digits, 44-34, at the 2:46 mark. USJ continued to roll to end the third quarter as Emiah Soto (Wolcott, Conn.) sunk a pair of shots from the charity stripe, giving USJ a 50-36 edge entering the fourth quarter.

The Blue Jays and Blazers traded buckets to start the fourth, as a Soto midrange jumper at the 7:38 mark saw USJ lead, 54-42. The two teams continued to fire off shots back-and-forth, but an Ouellette old-fashioned three-point play, gave USJ a 16-point lead, 61-45, with 4:22 left to play. The Bristol native continued to have a sensation game, knocking down a pair of free throws to increase the gap to 18, but a quick 4-0 Blazers run brought the score back to 63-49, forcing a USJ timeout with 1:37 left in the fourth. Elms would continue to try and mount a late comeback, but ultimately could not make up the deficit as USJ took home a comfortable 65-55 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ouellette led all scorers with 27 points.
• The scoring output marks the sixth time this season she dropped 20 or more points.
• Verboven hauled in a game-high 11 rebounds on the night.
• The total marks the fifth time this season Verboven recorded 10 or more rebounds and is the third straight game hitting the mark.
• She was also the primary playmaker, dishing out a game-high six assists.
• Ouellette was just as ferocious on the defensive end, matching her career-high of four steals.
• The Blue Jays outshot the Blazers, 37.7 percent (26 of 69) to 36.4 percent (20 of 55).
• Elms did not allow a USJ three pointer on the night.
• The Blue Jays dominated inside, scoring 42 points inside the paint.
• Elms won the rebounding battle, hauling in 44 compared to USJ's 40.
• USJ completed the regular season sweep of Elms with the victory.
• The Blue Jays increased its advantage in the all-time series against Elms to 14-5 with the victory.
• USJ has now won two-straight games against Elms.

UP NEXT

Women's basketball heads on the road, travelling to Boston, Mass., to face Emmanuel College in GNAC play on Wednesday, February 8. Tipoff against the Saints inside the Jean Yawkey Center is set for 5:30 p.m. 

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