NEWTON, MA – The Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball team improved to 12-11 overall and 6-4 in GNAC play with a 67-39 victory over Lasell College (7-16, 3-7 GNAC) on Saturday afternoon. Meghan Daigle '10 (Grantham, NH) notched her fifth double-double of the year with game-highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory, which was crucial for the Monks' playoff hopes.

Carolyn Freeman '10 (Scarborough, ME/McAuley) added 13 points and 7 boards, while teammate Megan McDevitt '12 (Cumberland, ME) registered 12 points and 4 caroms for St. Joe's. Ashley Geel '12 (St. George, ME) chipped in with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks and Amelia Lamb '12 (Topsham, ME) contributed 6 points for the Monks. Saint Joseph's has won five of its last six conference contests and sits in a three-way tie for the #8, and final, seed in the GNAC Tournament with a week remaining.

Tricia Culver '10 (Northampton, MA) was the lone Lasell player to reach double-digits with 10 points and Reegan Brackett '13 (Scarborough, ME) netted 8 points for the Lasers in the losing effort.

The contest was close until midway through the first half. St. Joe's led 11-8 after Geel and Culver traded buckets 12 minutes in, but the Monks scored 13 unanswered points as part of a 16-3 run to close out the opening stanza with a 27-11 cushion. Daigle tallied 8 points during the run and Melanie Cloutier '13 (Paris, ME) drained a trey with 22 seconds remaining to cap the surge for the Royal Blue.

St. Joe's outshot Lasell, 41.7% to 16%, and held a 24-14 advantage on the glass in the first half. Daigle led all players with 12 points and 9 caroms in the half, while Brackett paced the Lasers with 5 first-half points.

The Monks held the momentum in the second stanza by shooting 55.6% from the floor and gained a game-high 32-point lead on a Lamb basket, which capped a 14-4 SJC run, at the 10:37 mark.

Saint Joseph's maintained at least a 24-point cushion for the rest of the game and cruised to a 67-39 triumph.

The Monks shot 49% (25-51) from the field, 38.5% (5-13) from three-point range, and 75% (12-16) from the line, while the Lasers shot 32.3% (14-56) overall, 13.3% (2-15) from beyond the arc and 69.2% (9-13) from the charity stripe. St. Joe's held a 43-32 advantage on the glass and outscored the Lasers in the paint, 32-12, in the one-sided match-up.

The Monks will play at Emerson College (12-11, 7-3 GNAC) on Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

Newspaper Box Score
St. Joseph's (Me.) vs Lasell
02/13/10 4:00 pm at Newton, MA
At Newton, MA
ST. JOSEPH'S (ME.) 67, LASELL 39
ST. JOSEPH'S (ME.) (12-11)
Meghan Daigle 6-11 4-4 16; Carolyn Freeman 4-8 4-4 13; Megan McDevitt 4-8
2-3 12; Ashley Geel 4-10 0-0 8; Amelia Lamb 2-3 2-2 6; Allison Miner 2-3 0-0
4; Danyelle Shufelt 1-2 0-0 3; Melanie Cloutier 1-3 0-3 3; Casey Drake 1-3
0-0 2. Totals 25-51 12-16 67.
LASELL (7-16)
Tricia Culver 5-11 0-0 10; Katie Farr 3-12 1-2 9; Reegan Brackett 1-7 6-8 8;
Kim Archibald 3-10 1-2 7; Brittany Jefferies 1-5 0-0 2; Kelsey Converse 1-4
0-0 2; Victoria Elms 0-1 1-1 1; JoAnna Bishop 0-4 0-0 0; Kara Hinthorne 0-1
0-0 0; Shelby Wozmak 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-56 9-13 39.
St. Joseph's (Me.)............   27   40  -   67
Lasell........................   11   28  -   39
3-point goals--St. Joseph's (Me.) 5-13 (Megan McDevitt 2-6; Melanie Cloutier
1-2; Danyelle Shufelt 1-2; Carolyn Freeman 1-3), Lasell 2-15 (Katie Farr
2-8; Reegan Brackett 0-1; Kim Archibald 0-1; Brittany Jefferies 0-1; Kelsey
Converse 0-2; Kara Hinthorne 0-1; Shelby Wozmak 0-1). Fouled out--St.
Joseph's (Me.)-None, Lasell-None. Rebounds--St. Joseph's (Me.) 43 (Meghan
Daigle 12), Lasell 32 (Kim Archibald 8). Assists--St. Joseph's (Me.) 10
(Meghan Daigle 2; Carolyn Freeman 2; Danyelle Shufelt 2), Lasell 6 (Kelsey
Converse 1; Shelby Wozmak 1; Kara Hinthorne 1; Victoria Elms 1; Reegan
Brackett 1; Kim Archibald 1). Total fouls--St. Joseph's (Me.) 13, Lasell 18.
Technical fouls--St. Joseph's (Me.)-None, Lasell-None.