Hoop Team Earns First GNAC Win

PAXTON, Mass. – Devon Diliberto (Waterbury, Conn.) scored 22 points and the University of Saint Joseph basketball team shot 29-for-33 at the free throw line as the Blue Jays defeated Anna Maria 71-60 Saturday in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference game at Anna Maria.

USJ improved to 8-10 overall and is 1-3 in the GNAC. The Blue Jays broke a three-game losing streak. Anna Maria is 8-9 and 2-2.

Mary Hyde Derby (Conn.) had 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals for USJ. Lindsey Dionne (Portland, Conn.) scored points and Heather Framski (Prospect, Conn.) had eight points and 12 rebounds.

The 29 free throws were the second most in a game in the 21-year history of the USJ program, surpassed only by a 37-for-51 effort Feb. 28, 1998 when the Blue Jays defeated Albertus Magnus 85-75 in the GNAC championship game.

Anna Maria held USJ to 26.7 percent shooting from the floor in the first half (8-for-30) and led 30-29 at halftime. There were seven lead changes and 10 ties during the game. It was even for the final time at 45-all with 12:44 to play after a jumper from St. Joseph's Brianna Ferraro (Waterbury, Conn.) erased a two-point Blue Jay deficit. USJ took the lead for good on two free throws from Ferraro a minute later. The Blue Jays built a nine-point lead that was whittled for four at 60-56 with 4:00 to play, but Hyde scored six unanswered points to secure breathing room down the stretch.

USJ is off until Sat. February 1 when the Blue Jays host Mount Ida in a GNAC game at 1 p.m.