November 24, 2008
Eagles (30 Assists) Earn A Passing Grade
Against Blue Jays, 72-62

Nashua – The Daniel Webster College women’s basketball earned itself a passing grade Monday night against old GNAC rival St. Joseph’s of Connecticut.

Sophomore Joyce Chagan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) registered a game high 20 points leading four players in double figures and the Eagles combined for 30 assists on the way to a 72-62 victory over the visiting Blue Jays Monday night.

Chagan added seven assists and three rebounds while rookie Ali Chojnacki (Erie, Pa.) knocked down a double with 11 points and a game high 11 rebounds as the Eagles (2-1) moved over .500 on the young season.

The 30 assists tied the program in-game record as the program achieved the feat once in 2004 and again in 1997.

Freshman Kacie Lang (Raymond, N.H.) dished out a game high eight assists, adding 10 rebounds and six points, while fellow rookie Vanessa Bosques (N. Windham, Conn.) notched 11 points for the Eagles. Briana DeSeignora (Medfield, Mass.) added 10.

Michelle Fillion (Killingworth, Conn.) led the Blue Jays (1-3) with 16 points, while Ilaria Schiano ((Wallingford, Conn.) notched 13, Nathalie Mastarreno (Glastonbury, Conn.) hit for 11 points, four steals and eight boards, and Samantha Royce (Portland, Conn.) added 11 points.

The game was won in the paint. Daniel Webster finished with a 49-42 advantage on the boards including 16 on the offensive glass. But they dominated offensively underneath, taking advantage of 25 Blue jay turnovers and turning numerous fast breaks into a number of layups and a 42-26 points in the paint advantage.

In all, eight of the nine Eagles that saw minutes registered at least one assist.

Both teams struggled through much of the first half with the Eagles (40-percent from the field) using a late surge to lead 33-21 as the Blue Jays shot just 20-percent (6-30).

But St. Joseph’s turned things around in a hurry to start the second, hitting their first four shots including two treys from Fillion to spark a 10-0 run and close the lead to 33-31 with 17:56 left.

Chojnacki followed with a layup off a Lang feed sparking a brief 7-1 run giving momentum back to the Eagles.

Another Fillion trey cut the lead to 47-43 with 12:27 to go but the Eagles kept pounding inside. Bosques answered with an inside move off a Lang pass, Bosques found DeSeignora on an inside cut, Lang fed DeSeignora underneath after a DeSeignora steal, and Bosques closed a quick 8-0 run with another layup for a 55-43 lead with 10:46 left.

The Blue Jays would whittle the lead down to four again after Schiano knocked down a three and a free throw with 6:25 left, but Chojnacki answered underneath and Bosques followed with a jumper for an eight point advantage. The Jays would pull no closer than six down the stretch.

The Eagles are off until Thursday, December 4th when they host Regis College at 6:00 p.m.

St. Joseph’s returns to action tomorrow at Bay Path College at 7:30 p.m