NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Saint Joseph's College (10-9, 8-5 GNAC) topped Norwich University (7-13, 4-10 GNAC), 75-56, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball contest on Saturday afternoon. Junior guard Craig Luschenat (Boston, Mass.) led four Monks in double-digits with a game-high 19 points in the victory.
Saint Joseph's held the Cadets' starting five to just 16 points on a combined 5-22 shooting performance and netted 22 points off 19 Norwich turnovers in the lopsided win. The Monks opened the conference contest with 12 unanswered points, all by way of the three-pointer, and never trailed in the winning effort.
For Saint Joseph's, senior guard Steve Simonds (Steep Falls, Maine) tallied 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, senior forward Zach Blodgett (Glenburn, Maine) added 18 points, and freshman forward Quinn Richardson-Newton (Saco, Maine) contributed 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds to round out the Monks' quartet of double-digit scorers.
Junior forward Alex Preckol (Westford, Mass.) led Norwich with 15 points, freshman guard Ryan Booth (Northfield, Vt.) totaled 14 points and pulled down a team-high five rebounds, and junior guard Gary Gladden (Boyton Beach, Fla.) and freshman center Mike Hogervorst (Leiden, Netherlands) contributed six points apiece in the losing bid.
After the Monks jumped out to the quick lead, scoring four treys in just under four minutes into the contest, the Cadets finally found the scoreboard on a pair of free throws by Hogervorst, followed by a layup from sophomore forward Kevin Ross (Ontario, Calif.) before Saint Joseph's Steve Simonds drilled the rock from beyond the arc for the 15-4 score at the 13:48 mark.
The Cadets would cut the deficit to a five-point margin, thanks to an 8-0 run with Preckol drilling in a pair of three-pointers for the 17-12 score at the 9:24 mark. The Monks took control of Norwich's turnovers and expanded the lead to 19 points for the 39-20 score at the break.
The Cadets looked to bounce back in the second half, posting seven points to the Monks' four in the first five minutes of the frame. Saint Joseph's would regroup and utilize its strongest weapon, shooting the rock into the net from beyond the arc as Simonds nailed his fifth trey of the game at the 5:24 mark to make it 65-46 in favor of the Monks. The Cadets would add 10 more points however, Saint Joseph's would put up nine more points to pull in front by double-figures for the 75-56 win.
The Cadets were outrebounded 33-27 and committed 19 turnovers to Saint Joseph's 15. The Monks finished 24-of-52 from the field, including 12 three-point field goals, while Norwich only connected on 18 of its 45 attempts. Both teams posted similar numbers at the free throw line with the Cadets posting a 15-20 performance.
Both teams face conference opponents on Tuesday evening, when Saint Joseph's hosts Suffolk University and Norwich travels to Emmanuel College. Both GNAC tilts are slated to begin at 7:00 PM.
MAJOR PORTIONS COURTESY OF NORWICH SPORTS INFORMATION
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
