Basketball Tops Eastern, 67-40

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Devon Diliberto (Waterbury, Conn.) scored a game-high 16 points and added three steals as the University of Saint Joseph defeated Eastern Conn. State Univ., 67-40 Thursday in a non-conference game at the O'Connell Center.

St. Joseph improved to 7-2 overall; Eastern is 4-10.

Heather Framski (Prospect, Conn.) scored 13 points for St. Joseph and Mary Hyde (Derby, Conn.) had 10 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Kristina Forsman (Newington, Conn.) led Eastern with 15 points and Jill Ritrosky (Pittsfield, Mass.) had eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

St. Joseph scored the first seven points and never trailed. The Blue Jays led 27-14 late in the first half, but Eastern finished on an 8-1 run, getting six points from Ritrosky to pull within 28-22 at intermission. St. Joseph took control to start the second half and a 10-1 run – seven points from Framski and a three-pointer from Diliberto – put the Blue Jays up 38-23 and the Warriors never seriously challenged in the second half.

USJ shot 25-for-56 (44.6 percent) from the field while holding Eastern to 15-for-52 (28.8%) and just six second-half field goals. The Blue Jays also enjoyed a 44-31 rebounding advantage that led to a 20-8 edge in second-chance points.

St. Joseph plays at Suffolk, Sat. Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. to open Great Northeast Athletic Conference play. Eastern plays at UMass-Boston, Sat. at 1 p.m. in a Little East game.