Wildcats Fall to the Blue Jays 77-49

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Senior guard Devon Diliberto(Waterbury, Conn.) scored 21 points – all in the first half – as the University of Saint Joseph basketball team topped Bay Path College 77-49 Tuesday in a non-conference game at the O'Connell Center.

St. Joseph improved to 2-1 overall; Bay Path is 0-3.

Shauna Sullivan (Rocky Hill, Conn.) had 10 points, eight rebounds and five steals for St. Joseph. Elisha Pertillar(Windsor, Conn.) and Lindsay Dionne (Portland, Conn.) each had nine points for USJ and Mary Hyde (Derby, Conn.) had eight points, seven steals and six assists. Justine Hook (Berwick, Penn.) scored a game-high 24 points for Bay Path and connected on 6 of 7 three-point attempts. Kayla Skiffington (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) had 12 points for the Wildcats and Jessica Santiago (Holyoke, Mass.) had nine rebounds.

The Blue Jays used numerous transition baskets to shoot 63 percent (19-for-30) in the first half on the way to a 42-21 halftime lead.

Heather Framski (Prospect, Conn.) made two early hoops and Mary Hyde hit a three-pointer to stake USJ to a quick 9-2 lead. But Hook and Skeffington had five points apiece and kept Bay Path within 13-10 with 13:48 to play in the half. Diliberto then got hot to key a 14-0 run over the next 4:20 to put the Blue Jays on top 27-10. Diliberto had 10 points in the streak and Brianna Ferraro (Waterbury, Conn.) had four. In one nine-minute stretch, Diliberto scored 16 of 20 points for USJ.

In the second half, the Blue Jays lead never got below 20 points.

For the game, St. Joseph shot 48 percent (30-for-62) and Bay Path 30 percent (17-for-56). St. Joseph forced 41 Bay Path turnovers and scored 34 points off them and outscored the Wildcats 24-0 in fast break points. Bay Path outrebounded St. Joseph, 48-34.

Bay Path hosts Hampshire College at 6 pm this Thursday, while Saint Joseph next plays at Mitchell College, Thur. November 21 at 6 p.m.