Portland Maine News

University of New England (2-2) fought past Saint Joseph's College (2-1), 52-47, in a non-conference women's basketball contest at Mike McDevitt Court on Wednesday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Monks' 2022-23 home-opener did not go as scripted for either team, as the in-state rivals combined to commit 41 turnovers in a contest that lacked offensive rhythm for long stretches. Neither team managed to claim a lead greater than eight points as SJC and UNE swapped the lead five times and played through three tie scores.

Thanks to a buzzer-beater three from Gabby Soter (Spencer, Mass.) at the end of the second quarter, the Nor'easters headed into intermission with a 27-25 advantage. The Monks opened the third period with nine unanswered points and held a 34-27 lead after junior guard Nina Howe (York, Maine) drained a three with 6:12 left in the penultimate frame.

With the score tied at 44 apiece and 5:27 remaining, the Nor'easters essentially clinched the victory with an 8-0 run that spanned 3:24. The Monks went 0-for-4 from the floor with a pair of turnovers during the same stretch.

STATS OF THE GAME:

UNE held the lead in second-chance points (10-2), points in the paint (30-20), and bench points (14-3) in the victory.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Junior Angelica Hurley (Groveland, Mass.) led the Monks with 13 points and seven rebounds
• Junior Hannah Talon (Windham, Maine) produced 11 points with five boards
• Nina Howe netted nine points with five assists, three rebounds, and three steals
• Senior Jayne Howe (Pembroke, Mass.) added nine points and nine rebounds

LEADERS – UNE:

• Junior Jordyn Franzen (Salem, N.H.) registered a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds
• Graduate Keagan Dunbar (Middlebury, Vt.) added 12 points and five caroms
• Soter came off the bench to net nine points and pull down four rebounds with a pair of blocked shots

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls to 35-19 all-time versus University of New England and has now suffered three-consecutive setbacks at the hands of the Nor'easters.

Original source can be found here