Women's Hoops Uses Big Fourth Quarter to Secure Comeback Victory at Home Over John Jay

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team erased a 16-point deficit to pull off a miraculous comeback at home against John Jay College (John Jay), 69-62, Thursday night inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. Senior forward Jordan Ouellette had a stellar night, pacing the team with a season-high 29 points. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 8-1 on the year, while the Bloodhounds move to 6-4. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bloodhounds started the game strong, utilizing a relentless pressing defense to establish a quick 4-0 lead and force USJ to call a timeout at the 7:17 mark.
• John Jay extended the gap to 6-0, but a timely junior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) triple from the wing, cut the deficit to three, 6-3, with 6:23 on the clock.
• The Bloodhounds however extended its lead after a 7-2 run established a 14-7 edge, but senior guard Amanda Fudge (Middletown, Conn.) drove to the lane, finishing through contact to pull USJ within five, 14-9, at the 3:02 mark.
• The Blue Jays continued to fight back, using back-to-back baseline jumpers from Ouellette to close the gap to three, 16-13, with 1:44 on the clock.
• John Jay closed the quarter on a 4-2 stretch though, taking a 20-15 edge into the second.
• The second quarter began as a battle of the defenses, as the Bloodhounds scored the first bucket of the quarter at the 6:41 mark, extending their advantage to 23-15.
• USJ responded with a 4-0 stretch, featuring buckets from Ouellette and Slisz, but John Jay responded with a driving layup to hold a 25-19 edge at the 4:44 mark.
• The Bloodhounds though would extend the gap late, closing the half on a 5-0 stretch to hold a 34-23 lead entering the break.
• John Jay opened the third on a 4-0 stretch before Fudge put an end to the run after faking out the defender and knocking down a pull-up jumper, cutting the gap to 38-26 at the 6:43 mark.
• The Bloodhounds continued to pull away, establishing a game-high 16-point lead, 42-26, but a 4-0 Blue Jays run, featuring a pair of free throws from freshman guard Natalia Zappone (Morris, Conn.) and a jumper from Ouellette, cut the gap to 12, 42-30, entering the media timeout with 3:33 left in the quarter.
• USJ continued its run, increasing it to 9-0, as a knock-down three from Fudge cut the deficit to seven, 42-35, at the 1:55 mark.
• The seven-point gap would hold, as Ouellette sunk a close-range jumper off the backboard, sending the Blue Jays into the fourth quarter down, 44-37.
• USJ would not go down easy, opening the quarter on a 5-2 run, capped off by a three from Zappone to pull the Blue Jays back within four, 46-42, at the 8:22 mark.
• USJ would continue to knock down threes, as Slisz drained a triple from the top of the arc, closing the deficit to one, 51-50, with 6:20 on the clock.
• John Jay would open the gap back up to six, 58-52, but a 4-0 Ouellette stretch brought the Blue Jays within two, 58-56, with 3:16 left to play.
• Zappone would come up clutch moments later, knocking down a triple to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip, 60-60, with 1:59 remaining.
• USJ completed the comeback, as Ouellette converted on an old-fashioned three-point play, establishing the first lead for the Blue Jays in the game, 63-62, with 1:29 on the clock.
• The Blue Jays began to break open a lead of its own, as Ouellette drained a tough mid-range jumper, increasing the gap to five, 67-62 with 30 seconds left in the game.
• USJ would ice the game out at the free throw line, securing the comeback victory, 69-63.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Ouellette led all scorers with a season-high 29 points.
• Slisz joined her in double-figures, dropping 14 points.
• Zappone had a career night, posting a season-high nine points.
• Ouellette was just shy of a double-double, hauling in a team-high nine boards.
• The Blue Jays were red-hot from the floor in the fourth quarter, shooting 61.1 percent (11-of-18).
• Overall, John Jay outshot USJ, 43.9 percent to 37.5 percent.
• The Bloodhounds dominated the glass, outrebounding USJ, 50-29.
• USJ was relentless defensively, forcing 21 turnovers, which resulted in 22 USJ points.

UP NEXT
The Blue Jays wrap up a three-game homestand on Saturday, December 9, with a return to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, hosting newcomers New England College. Tipoff against the Pilgrims is set for 1:00 p.m. inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn.

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