Jefferson prevails against Chestnut Hill in championship rematch

by Tom Utescher
Posted 1/29/25

Before last Wednesday's Northwest Philly basketball clash between Chestnut Hill College and Jefferson University, the last time the two teams met was last March in the 2024 women's championship game of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

It was Jefferson who claimed the 2024 CACC title, and when the teams met last week for their first encounter of 2025, there was a similar result.

The teams went neck-and-neck through the first quarter, with the host Lady Rams of Jefferson enjoying a 16-15 edge. A 25-12 second quarter for Jefferson proved decisive, as the CHC Griffins would trail …

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Jefferson prevails against Chestnut Hill in championship rematch

Posted

Before last Wednesday's Northwest Philly basketball clash between Chestnut Hill College and Jefferson University, the last time the two teams met was last March in the 2024 women's championship game of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

It was Jefferson who claimed the 2024 CACC title, and when the teams met last week for their first encounter of 2025, there was a similar result.

The teams went neck-and-neck through the first quarter, with the host Lady Rams of Jefferson enjoying a 16-15 edge. A 25-12 second quarter for Jefferson proved decisive, as the CHC Griffins would trail by double figures the rest of the way.

A 70-55 victory for the Lady Rams left each team with a 5-2 record within the CACC, while Jefferson rose to 11-6 overall and Chestnut Hill slipped to 9-10.

In the South Division of the conference (concentrated largely around Philadelphia and northern Delaware), both teams trail undefeated Holy Family University, which boasts a record of 7-0, 15-3. In the first games in their home/away series, Holy Family defeated Jefferson, 74-64, and beat CHC, 95-69.

Most of this season, Jefferson has been playing without 5'11" senior forward Sam Yencha, who suffered a stress fracture in one hip during the third game of the season. This was a huge loss for the Lady Rams, since Yencha was the CACC Player of the Year last season and averaged 15.6 points, and 11.6 rebounds per game.

Visiting Chestnut Hill touched off the scoring last Wednesday with a three-pointer by junior Sara Tamoun, and six other Griffins would each add regular field goals during the opening quarter. Jefferson senior center Cassie Murphy started in on her game-high 23-point night with six points in the first quarter, with guards Emma Kuczunski (senior) and Emily Spratt (sophomore) scoring four points apiece.

The teams were close at the end of the period, Jefferson leading 16-15, but then their paths diverged. A three-pointer by Kuczynski helped Jefferson score five unanswered points at the start of the second. The Griffins remained a few baskets behind, despite two lay-ups and a midrange jumper by freshman guard Tiki Miller.

With four minutes left in the second stanza, the Griffins were still only five points behind, 28-23. The Lady Rams made a 6-0 run with short jumpers by freshman forward Carolyn Sipprell sandwiched around a lay-up by sophomore point guard Tori Nigro.

Miller stuck a jumper to get two points back for CHC, then Jefferson's Kuczynski bagged jump shots from inside and outside the three-point loop, spreading the score to make it 39-25. After an exchange of baskets, the scoreboard paused 41-27 for halftime.

As soon as play resumed, the Lady Rams raised their lead close to 20 points as they started out with a trey by Kuczynski and a 15-footer by Murphy. Over the next few minutes, Chestnut Hill's McCann responded with a "three" of her own and a driving lay-up.

The lead was down to 14 points (47-33) three minutes into the third round, but a few more buckets by Murphy helped the hosts keep their distance. A number of times the Griffins appeared poised to bring the margin back down into single figures, but Jefferson never let that happen.

Just past the middle of the third period, the Lady Rams led 53-36. CHC senior guard Bri Rider hit a medium-range jumper and then a shorter shot, and when her junior teammate Caleigh Edwards went in for a lay-up, the gap was down to 11 points at 53-42.

Two free throws by Murphy made it 55-42 at the three-quarter mark, and the fourth frame began with two more made foul shots, this time by Nigro. From the right baseline, Kuczynski put away a jumper that expanded the advantage to 69-42.

After that, the lead never fell below a dozen points, and Jefferson ultimately prevailed by 15, 70-55. Overall, the Lady Rams appeared poised, operating in unison more than their guests.

Following Murphy in the Jefferson scoring stats were Kuczynski, with 20 points and Nigro, with 12, while Kuczynski and freshman Gabby Recinto shared the game high for rebounds, with nine apiece. The Griffins got 12 points apiece from McCann and Miller, and six each from Rider and Tamoun. Senior center Emily Sekerak had four points and a team-high eight rebounds.

On Saturday the Griffins followed the loss with a dramatic home game win against the second-ranked team in the CACC North, Caldwell University. A field goal from above the foul line by junior guard Avery White gave Chestnut Hill a 78-76 edge with one second remaining. When CHC fouled on the inbounds play with no time on the clock, Caldwell's Lucy Coogan made the first shot but missed the second, and CHC eked out the win.