Velez Nets Career-High 26 in Win Over New Rochelle

BROOKLYN, NY - Senior Melissa Velez (Queens, NY/Mary Louis) hit seven 3-pointers to score a career-high 26 points in her final home game as the Lady Bears downed College of New Rochelle 68-27 in a Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference game at Brooklyn Technical High School on Tuesday night.  St. Joseph's extends their winning streak to four and improve to 10-13, 2-2 HVWAC and New Rochelle drops to 2-17, 0-4 HVWAC.

St. Joseph's dominated the game from the outset over the Blue Angel team that only dressed five players that played the entire game.  The Lady Bears jumped to a 27-0 lead before New Rochelle scored their first basket at the 11 minute mark.  St. Joseph's shot 53 percent in the first half and took a 40-8 lead into the lockers.  For the game New Rochelle missed 51 shots and the Lady Bears held a 55-33 rebounding advantage.

Velez shot 50 percent (9-for-18) from the field and 58 percent (7-for-12) from behind the arc.  She also grabbed five boards and had four steals.  Julia Serewko (Queens, NY/Mary Louis) added eight points. Allison Kavanagh (Queens, NY/Mary Louis), Tara Gleason (Queens, NY/Stella Maris) and Kim Baylous (Coram, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) each added six points.

The Lady Bears enter this weekend's Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference tournament as the number 3 seed and face Albany Pharmacy in the semi-final round on Saturday.  Game time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Pratt Institute.  They look to avenge a 72-36 loss on the road just over two weeks ago, which they played without leading scorer Ashley McQuillan(Brooklyn, NY/St. Francis Prep).  The winner will face the winner of the St. Elizabeth/Yeshiva or New Rochelle semi-final.  The championship game is scheduled Sunday at 3:00 p.m. also at Pratt Institute.