The Chestnut Hill College women's basketball team played solid defense and utilized a balanced scoring attack with ten different players scoring as they defeated nationally ranked Jefferson University 57-44 Wednesday night in front of a nearly packed house at Sorgenti Arena.
 
The Griffins move to 12-7 overall and 7-3 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games.  The Rams, ranked #9 in the D2SIDA media poll and #20 in the WBCA coaches poll, suffered their first conference loss and drop to 9-1 in league play and 17-3 overall.
 
Kaitlyn Carter led the Griffins with ten points (4-6 FG) while four of her teammates scored at least eight points in the contest.  Starters Morgan Sterner and Emily Sekerak had nine and eight points respectively, while Emily Chmiel (3-8 FG, 3-3 FT) and Bri Rider (3-3 3FG) both came off the bench to score nine points apiece.   Chmiel led the team with eight rebounds.  Carter and Sekerak had three assists apiece.  Sekerak also had her third consecutive game with two blocks.  Siobhan Boylan had three steals to lead all players.
 
On the defensive side, the Griffins held the Rams to just 26.5% shooting from the field and a 1-for-15 from three-point range (6.7%).  Jefferson's 44 points was their lowest point total of the season and the also the second fewest points the Griffins have allowed in a conference game this year (Wilmington scored 39 against CHC earlier this month.   The Griffins bench also outscored the Rams 30-2.
 
Sekerak and Carter combined for the Griffins' first ten points with Sekerak making three baskets; all assisted by Carter and Carter two; one assist to Sekerak as Chestnut Hill jumped out to a 10-2 lead.   Jefferson closed within three as the first quarter ended and opened the second quarter with two baskets to complete an 11-2 run to take a 13-12 lead just 1:25 into the period.
 
Sterner's three-point basket put the Griffins back on top 15-13 and the sophomore guard later adder a layup to push the leas back to six 19-13.  The rams cut the lead in half, 23-20 as the two teams headlined into the locker room at the break.
 
Jefferson scored the first six points of the third quarter to take their biggest lead at 26-23.  Chestnut Hill followed with an explosive 17-1 run to take the lead for good at 40-27 with just over a minute left in the period.  Rider hit two three-point band Chmiel scored seven of her nine points during the run.   Jefferson's Emma Kuczynski (eight points) scored the final two baskets of the quarter as the Rams closed within nine heading into the final ten minutes of action.
 
The Griffins continued the defensive pressure, limiting the Rams to just four field goals in the final period (4-21, 19%) while expanding their lead to double digits for much of the final quarter.  Jefferson would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way.
 
Haley Meinel led the Rams with 15 points while Morgan Robinson added ten points and 11 rebounds.  Robinson and Meinel led the team with three assists apiece.  Sam Yencha also had 11 rebounds for the Rams.
 
Chestnut Hill did not shoot a free throw in the first two quarters but finished the game making 12 of 19 (63.2%).  Jefferson who shot only two free throws in the first two quarters, finished the game making seven of 14 (50%)    The Rams also had a slight edge  rebounding  47-44, including a 20-13 advantage on the offensive glass.  Despite the big advantage in offensive rebounds, the Griffins scored 12 second-chance points to Jefferson's seven.
The women's basketball team returns to action on Saturday, January 28, 2023 when they host Caldwell University at Sorgenti Arena.  Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.