RUTLAND—College of St. Joseph’s men’s and women’s basketball teams got their seasons underway this past weekend, with both teams hosting Paul Smith’s College on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Lady Saints got the afternoon started off on the right foot, beating Paul Smith’s in a rout 91-23. The men’s team followed suit, defeating Paul Smith’s in a more tightly contested matchup 114-99. Both teams are now 1-0 on the season and are looking to build off the successes of opening night heading into the rest of year. Here is a closer look at how the two games unfolded on Saturday.
Nov. 5
The Lady Saints came out of the gate firing against the Paul Smith’s Bobcats, taking a 23-6 lead after the first quarter. Freshman Alayna Landolfo set the tone early for CSJ, scoring 11 points on five of eight shooting in the opening period. The second quarter was more of the same, as the CSJ defense picked up and applied maximum pressure on the Bobcats ball handlers. The Lady Saints caused 11 turnovers in the second quarter alone, only allowing four points throughout the 10 minute period. The score was 52-10 at halftime. In the second half the Lady Saints continued their dominance. Four different players ended the game with double digit scoring figures, including freshman Kaelin Reopell, who was able to score 13 points off the bench in only 16 minutes of play. Junior Alexius Brooks led the Lady Saints in rebounding, with 16 rebounds off the bench, including seven offensive rebounds. CSJ caused 30 turnovers and out rebounded Paul Smith’s 59 to 39.
The Fighting Saints men’s basketball team played a worthy opponent in the Paul Smith’s Bobcats, and were able to hold on at the end of the game to take home a 114-99 victory. The Saints were led by sophomore Jonathan Brioso, who finished the game with a team high 27 points and 10 rebounds. It was a well-rounded game for the Saints, as they had five players reach double digits in scoring, including freshman Messiah Murphy, who scored 21 points off the bench and also contributed seven rebounds, five assists, and and three steals. The Saints out rebounded the Bobcats 51 to 43, leading to 21 second chance points for CSJ compared to eight for Paul Smith’s. CSJ also had 34 points off turnovers in contrast to just 15 for the Bobcats. The Saints’ biggest lead throughout the game was 26 points.
