Standish, ME - GR Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, ME) scored all of his game-high 18 points in the first half to lead Saint Joseph's College to a 70-65 win over Roger Williams University in tonight's ECAC New England Championship round one game. The Monks (21-7) will take on Curry College, a 108-88 winner over Emerson College, on Friday night at 7 PM in the Alfond Center on the Saint Joseph's College campus.
St. Joe's got off to a quick start thanks to Pulkkinen who scored SJC's first 8 points of the game. SO Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY) stretched the lead to 11-3 at 17:14 but the Hawks (15-11) responded with two quick lay-ups. Pulkkinen made it 14-7 with a deep three and Roger Williams cut the spread with baskets by SO Tucker Bashaw (Williston, VT) and JR Ben Camobreco (Duxbury, MA).
Back-to-back treys by Pulkinnen and Murphy put the Monks up 26-19 but the Hawks kept fighting, tying the game at 26 with 6 minutes to go in the half. SR Colby Emmons (Portland, ME) sent the Monks into the break with a 37-34 edge after converting a three-point play. JR Geoff Baranger (Fairfield, CT) kept the Hawks close with 8 of his 13 points and 5 of his game-high 11 rebounds in the half.
The second half opened with an SJC run to take a 43-36 lead, but JR Dan Gumb (Patterson, NY) tied the game at 47 and a three by Camobreco gave Roger Williams their first lead of the game with just under 10 minutes to go.
The Monks answered with a basket by Murphy to tie followed by a lay-up by SR Marcus Alexander (Niceville, FL) to regain the lead. SR Pat Mileski (Cape Elizabeth, ME) buried a trey from the corner to extend the lead to 60-55 at the 8:18 mark. The Hawks went up 63-60 on a basket by Baranger and Mileski drained another three from the corner to tie.
FR Ray Eatmon (Huntington, NY) gave the Monks a 66-63 lead with 3 minutes to go after an offensive rebound and lay-up. SO Scott Vachon (Schenectady, NY) pushed the lead to 5 with a basket at 2:10. The Hawks cut it to three and after an SJC miss but Emmons caused a jump ball on the rebound giving possession back to the Monks. Murphy secured an offensive rebound with 10 seconds to go, dribbled 5 seconds off the clock before being fouled and made both free throws to secure the win.
Murphy finished with 17 points and Alexander added 13 for St. Joe's. In addition to Baranger's double-double, Bashaw and SO Michael Woolley (Seattle, WA) had 11 apiece for Roger Williams.
