STANDISH, Maine – Emmanuel College (6-14, 5-8 GNAC) edged Saint Joseph's College (11-9, 8-5 GNAC), 73-68, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball action at the Harold Alfond Center on Wednesday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The conference rivals dueled to a 34-34 stalemate in the first half but, as it played out, Emmanuel grabbed the lead early in the second stanza and did not relinquish the advantage for the remainder of play.

In the end, the difference proved to be what transpired early in the second half, when the Saints opened with a meager 6-2 run, including four points from sophomore guard Joe Tamburro (South Windsor, Conn.), en route to claiming a 40-36 cushion with 17:57 remaining.

After posting an unspectacular 30.8% (4-13) effort from three-point distance in the first half, the Monks missed all nine of their attempts from beyond the arc in the second frame and finished the night with an 18.2% (4-22) downtown success rate, the team's second-lowest effort of the season.

Despite the substandard shooting performance, the Monks remained in contention throughout as the contest was a two-possession proposition for the entire second half, save for the game-high seven-point lead (62-55) gained by the Saints with 5:42 left.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Sophomore guard Ian Mileikis (Auburn, Maine) tallied 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists
• Sophomore forward Marc Corey (Londonderry, N.H.) netted 13 points with four boards and four assists
• Senior guard Andrew Ruffen (Salem, N.H.) chipped in with nine points and five caroms
• Junior forwards Aaron Hall (Haverhill, Mass.) and Quinn Richardson-Newton (Saco, Maine) contributed seven points and seven rebounds apiece

LEADERS – EMMANUEL:

• Tamburro was 10-11 from the FT line with 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists
• Senior forward Aidan Hadley (Owls Head, Maine) added 15 points, eight caroms, and four assists with a pair of steals
• Senior center Matt Raine (Miami, Fla.) tallied 11 points and eight boards
• Senior guard Julian Diggs (Upper Marlboro, Md.) – brother of SJC alum Jerome Diggs – sparked the Saints off the bench with 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds in 28 minutes

NEXT!

Both teams are back in action Saturday, when Saint Joseph's travels to Johnson & Wales University and Emmanuel hosts conference-rival Suffolk University. Both conference matchups are slated to begin at 1:00 PM.

#GOMONKS 

Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!

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 474-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.