January 21, 2008
Eagles Comeback Helps Finally Solve St. Joseph's Hex
- Win Sets Best Start After 14 Games in Program History -
 

(With information from St. Joseph's Sports Information)
WEST HARTFORD, CT- All night long, the Daniel Webster women's basketball team struggled offensively. But trailing by eight with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, the Eagles found a way to tighten up defensively and knock down the important basket - none more so than the one off the hands of senior Erin Moseley.

Moseley buried a jumper with just 16 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Blue Jay's final shot at the buzzer fell short capping a furious late comeback to give the Eagles a nail biting 41-40 victory at Saint Joseph's (Conn.) and pull their GNAC record even at 2-2.

In the process, the Eagles jumped four games above .500 improving to 9-5 overall as they established the team's best start after 14 games in program history.

The win was a rare one for the Eagles over the Blue Jays. DWC won for just the third time in the 15 game series and more importantly, exorcised a nasty ghost - the Eagles finally snared an elusive victory for the first time in eight tries in the Blue Jay's gym dating back to when the series began in 1995.

Emily Coole added nine points for the Eagles, while Brian DeSeignora added six points and an important 11 rebounds including a monster seven on the offensive glass.

Moseley paced the Eagles with 12 points and her gamer capped a remakable turnaround for a team that struggled badly in the opening stanza, shooting a nearly disastrous 4-31 leading to a mere 12 first half points.

The Eagles actually jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes before the Blue Jays (2-11, 0-4 GNAC) responded with a 13-0 run over a five minute stretch, with 11 of those points scored by senior tri-captain Amanda Ciarcia (Newington, CT). The Eagles went scoreless for a stretch of seven minutes leading to the halftime hole.

But like the Eagles in the opening frame, the Blue Jays shooting fell apart in the second, allowing DWC time to climb back in. After SJC built the lead to 18 in the opening minutes of the second, their shooting dried up and they finished a paltry 5-24 in the frame. The Eagles 35% second half shooting provided just enough spark to pull off the comeback.

Trailing 37-24 with 13:17 to play, the Eagles held the Blue Jays to just three points the rest of the way, closing with a 17-3 run.

A Coole trey cut the lead back to single digits for the first time since 6:12 was left in the first. A Morales jumper made it 39-31 with 10:07 left, and the game itself would go scoreless for nearly five minutes as both teams buckled down defensively.

Ashley Boyd hit back to back jumpers with 4:16 and 3:28 left, and DeSeignora knocked down a 10-footer with 2:07 to go for a two-point game.

A Charlotte Kayik free throw made it 40-37 with 1:30 to go but Joyce Chagan (5 points, 4 assists) followed with a huge jumper with 1:20 to go setting up Moseley's heroics.

SJC had one final chance at the win, but Kayij's jumper at the buzzer fell short and the Eagles escaped with the win.

Ciarcia was the only double figure scorer for the Blue Jays as she had 21 points (19 in the first half) to go along with nine rebounds and three steals. Kayij pulled down a team high 11 boards.

The Eagles host Emerson Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in a GNAC contest.