Ouellette Becomes All-Time Leading Rebounder; Blue Jays Fall to Williams, 73-65

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Graduate student forward Jordan Ouellette (Bristol, Conn.) etched her name into the history books, becoming the all-time leading rebounder in University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team history, as the Blue Jays dropped its non-conference finale to Williams College (Williams), 73-65, Sunday inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays moved to 12-7 on the season, while the Ephs moved to 12-8 overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening portion of the first quarter was closely contested, as the Blue Jays received buckets from graduate students Taylor Verboven (Columbia, Conn.) and Ouellette to remain deadlocked with Williams at 4-4 with 4:36 left in the first.
• The Ephs and Blue Jays continued to trade buckets, as Verboven and Ouellette combined for a 4-0 run as the two sides were level at 8-8 with 2:22 on the clock.
• The two sides remained even at the end of the first quarter, as the game was tied at 10-10.
• USJ opened the second quarter strong, using a 4-0 run, capped off by a layup from graduate student forward Maci Dorantes (Bristol, Conn.) to take a 14-10 edge at the 9:03 mark.
• The Ephs would close the gap to two, but another 4-0 stretch, finished off by a tough layup from senior guard Maya Slisz (New Britain, Conn.) forced the visitors to call a timeout trailing 20-14 with 4:56 on the clock.
• However, Williams would gain momentum out of the break, using a 7-0 stretch to take a 21-20 advantage with 2:04 left in the half.
• The Ephs would turn the 7-0 run into a 12-2 stretch to close out the half, holding a 26-22 lead at the break.
• The Blue Jays wasted little time releveling the score, as Slisz sunk a pair of free throws to close out a 6-2 start, tying the game at 28-28 with 8:14 on the clock.
• Williams would regain the lead though, holding a 37-33 edge as the game reached a media timeout with 4:54 left in the third.
• Slisz would knock down a layup with 22 seconds left to keep the Blue Jays within four, 52-48 entering the fourth quarter.
• Ouellette would make history in the fourth, hauling in her fourth rebound to become the new all-time leading rebounder in USJ history at the 8:27 mark.
• Williams though would use a 10-2 scoring run to break open a 62-52 edge with 5:45 left to play.
• USJ would begin to fight back, utilizing a 7-2 stretch, capped off by free throws from Verboven, to close the deficit to five, 64-59 with 2:50 on the clock.
• The Blue Jays would not be able to pull any closer though, as the Ephs iced the game out at the free throw line, taking home a 73-65 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Ouellette paced the team with a game-high 26 points.
• Verboven hauled in a team-high seven rebounds.
• Slisz dished out a game-high six assists.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays round out a three-game homestand on Tuesday, February 4th, hosting Dean College for a GNAC matchup. Tipoff against the Bulldogs inside James. A Calhoun Gymnasium is set for 7:00 p.m.

Follow USJ Athletics
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays