Basketball Falls to Worcester State

WORCESTER, Mass. – Worcester State made 14 of 24 field goal attempts over the last 15 minutes to pull away from a 33-all tie as the Lancers defeated the University of Saint Joseph basketball team 69-50 Tuesday in a non-conference game at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Both teams are 3-3.

Brianna Ferraro (Waterbury, Conn.) scored 17 points for USJ and Devon Diliberto (Waterbury, Conn.) had 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals for the Blue Jays.

Diliberto made three three-pointers which gave her 179 for her career and tied the school record, set by former St. Joseph volleyball coach and assistant basketball coach Val Briggs, who had 179 from 1997-2001.

Diliberto scored eight early points and Ferraro had four to stake the Blue Jays to a 12-2 lead just three minutes into the game. USJ maintained its lead through nearly all of the first 20 minutes, but Worcester State scored the final four points of the half over the last 19 seconds to lead 27-25 at the break.

The Lancers never relinquished the lead in the second half, but a layup from Ferraro pulled the Blue Jays even at 33 with 14:38 to play. A Ferraro jumper with 8:28 left kept USJ within 44-39, but Worcester State made 10 of 14 field goal attempts after that to clinch the win.

St. Joseph returns to action Sun. Dec. 1 at Wesleyan in a non-conference game at 2 p.m.