Blue Jays Edge Conn College, 66-61

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Devon Diliberto (Waterbury, Conn.) made five free throws in the final 52 seconds and scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to help the University of Saint Joseph basketball team to a 66-61 victory over Connecticut College Saturday in a non-conference game at the O'Connell Center.

Saint Joseph improved to 4-1 on the season; Conn. College is 2-4.

Brianna Ferraro (Waterbury, Conn.) had 12 points and Mary Hyde (Derby, Conn.) had 10 points and five steals for USJ. Claire Consonni (Bristol, Conn.) contributed nine points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Blue Jays.

Saint Joseph never trailed and built its biggest lead at 35-23 late in the first half before going into the break ahead 35-26.

The Blue Jays biggest lead of the second half came at 55-44 on a layup by Ferraro with 8:55 to play. Conn. College chipped away at its deficit in the closing minutes and pulled within 61-59 on a layup from Annie Fierberg (Watertown, Conn.) with 1:58 left.

The Camels one chance to tie or lead came on the ensuing possession, but a missed transition layup was rebounded by Consonni and Diliberto hit the first two of her late free throws to bump the Blue Jay lead to 63-59 with :52 to play. The Camels missed a shot on their following possession, but a steal and layup from Tara Gabelman (Irvington, N.Y.) got Conn. within two again, this time at 63-61 with 34 ticks remaining. But Diliberto closed out the scoring with two free throws with :30 left and one more with :19 to play.

Jocelyn Summers (Highland Park, N.J.) scored a game-high 13 points for Conn. College and Gabelman had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Saint Joseph hosts the Wentworth Institute of Technology Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in its final home game of the fall semester. Conn. College hosts Albertus Magnus Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

Martin appointed: USJ Head Coach Kim Martin was named to the NCAA Regional Women's Basketball Committee. Martin will vote in the weekly New England Regional poll, which plays a role in ranking decisions for the NCAA tournament. Martin is also in her second season on the voting panel for the national ESPN/USA Today Division III women's basketball Top 25.