DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Sophomore guard Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) netted a career-high 26 points to help Saint Joseph's College (3-6) rally past St. John Fisher (4-5), 66-64, in the Mauro Pannagio Tournament consolation game at the DME Sports Academy on Monday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Cardinals led by as many as 15 points in the first half and carried a 34-22 cushion into halftime, but the Monks opened the second stanza with a 13-4 run and faced a three-point (38-35) deficit after sophomore David Keohan (West Newfield, Maine) capped the scoring burst with a three-pointer at the 17:23 mark.
St. John Fisher responded in kind with a 14-5 surge to reclaim the double-digit lead (52-40) five minutes later but St. Joe's rallied once again, this time scoring 17 of the game's subsequent 21 points to claim their first lead – 57-56 – of the afternoon with 6:25 on the clock. Curtis accounted for nine of the Monks' points – including the go-ahead trifecta - and Saint Joseph's sank five three-pointers during the five-minute stretch.
The Monks and Cardinals swapped the lead eight times in the closing six minutes, with neither team enjoying a multiple point lead until Curtis drilled a three-pointer with 22 seconds left to account for the 66-64 final.
St. John Fisher had one last shot to win the game, but a fast break attempt from downtown missed the target as time expired.
STATS OF THE GAME:
The Monks held a substantial lead in three-pointers made (13-4) and posted a 16-10 advantage in points off turnovers…After shooting just 26.9% (7-26) from the field – including a 21.1% (4-19) rate from downtown – in the first half, SJC rebounded nicely in the second frame with 57.1% (16-28) and 60% (9-15) rates, respectively.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Curtis was 9-for-19 from the field and 6-for-12 from three-point range with 26 points and four rebounds
- Junior guard Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) added 12 points, three assists, and two rebounds
- Freshman Joseph Nuttall (Holden, Mass.) chipped in with nine points and four boards
- Keohan tallied seven points, two caroms and two assists
- Sophomore guard Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) contributed five points with six rebounds and six assists
- Freshman Drew Shea (Mount Desert Island, Maine) came off the bench to score five points and pull down three rebounds
LEADERS – ST. JOHN FISHER:
- Sammy Robinson led the Cardinals with 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds
- Dennis Hare notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards and also recorded five assists and three steals
- Brendan Trapper and Mark Valeriani netted eight points apiece
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Today's contest was the first ever between the Monks' and Cardinals' men's basketball programs.
NOTEWORTHY:
Today's winning point tally counts as the Monks' fewest points scored in a win since Saint Joseph's defeated Regis College, 63-57, on January 27th, 2018.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's is off until January 2nd when the team plays Emmanuel College at Regis in the Catholic Classic Tournament at 5:00 PM.
