STANDISH, Maine – #5 Saint Joseph's College (12-13, 6-5 GNAC) will go on the road to face #4 Anna Maria (10-15, 6-5 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Quarterfinal on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. 

OVERVIEW

Tuesday's victor advances to the semifinal and will face the winner of another quarterfinal matchup between #8 Regis College and #1 University of Saint Joseph – on Thursday. The higher seed serves as host throughout tourney play.

The winner of the GNAC Championship game earns an automatic berth into the 2020 NCAA DIII Men's Basketball Championship, which begins on March 8th.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks lead the conference in three pointers made (12.6) and attempted (32.1), three-point percentage (39.4%) and assists average (19.2) and rank second field goal percentage (48.1%) and FT% (74.2%)
• Faced with the real possibility of missing the playoffs, Saint Joseph's closed out the regular season with four-consecutive GNAC victories
• Six different SJC players are averaging at least 6.0 points per game
• Saint Joseph's has made 10 or more three-pointers in 21 different games this winter and at least 15 trifectas in eight contests
• The Monks are 4-8 and average 81.0 PPG in road games this season

Anna Maria:

• The AMCATS lead the GNAC in fewest fouls per game (13.2), rank third in fewest turnovers per game (13.8), and sixth in field goal percentage (45.8%), three point percentage (33.7%), steals per game (7.1) and assists per game (16.2)
• Three of the five starters for the AMCATS average 10.4 or more points per game, including two over 18.4 PPG
• Anna Maria is 5-0 when shooting at least 50% from the floor and 7-2 when scoring 80 or more points
• The AMCATS are 5-4 and averaging 81.0 PPG at home this winter

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Saint Joseph's:

• (#1) Junior guard Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) is the conference's leading scorer (26.8 PPG) to go with 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, averages that ranked fifth and sixth in the conference respectively, while shooting 49.7% from the field; he also leads the conference in field goals made (218), free throws made (133), free throw attempted (168) and points (642) and ranks third in the conference in three point field goals made (73); he has been selected as the GNAC Player of the Week five times and has registered 12 double-doubles this winter and earlier this season joined the Monks' 1,000-Point Club
• (#3) Sophomore guard Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) is averaging 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game and leads the GNAC in three-point field goals made (104) while shooting 49.5% from beyond the arc; he also ranks third in the conference in steals (35), fifth in total points scored (476) and minutes (866)
• (#20) Sophomore guard Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) enters the quarterfinal contest as the Monks' third leading scorer averaging 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists and ranks 10th in the conference in three point percentage (41.6%)

Anna Maria College:

• (#34) Senior forward Mike Rapoza (Charlton, Mass.) is currently averaging 19.3 points, 15.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game and enters tonight's game as the NCAA DIII rebounding leader;  he currently leads the conference offensive rebounds (120), defensive rebounds (253), blocks (42), and minutes per game (38.6) and is second in the GNAC in field goal percentage (61.7%) and minutes played (926) while ranking fifth in point per game average
• (#2) Senior guard Bobby Perette (Marshfield, Mass.) enters the quarterfinal contest averaging 18.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game; he ranks second in the conference in three point field goals made (77), sixth in field goals made (168), and eight in the conference in points (460) and points per game (18.4)
• (#0) Junior guard Ralph Grasso, Jr. (Marlboro, Mass.) contributes 10.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per contest while shooting 40.3% from the floor and 36.1% from three

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's: Rob Sanicola '99 (273-185, .596) – 18th collegiate season

The fourth head coach in SJC men's basketball history, Sanicola was appointed as the program's leader prior to the start of the 2003-04 campaign after having played at St. Joe's for four years (1996-99) and working as an assistant coach, under Rick Simonds, for four seasons. In 24 years as a player, assistant, and head coach at Saint Joseph's, Sanicola has helped the Monks post an impressive 423-225 (.652) overall record.

The three-time GNAC Coach of the Year honoree has led the Monks to 13-consecutive GNAC Tournament appearances, including a GNAC Championship in 2009.

Anna Maria: Shawn Conrad (181-263, .408) – 17th collegiate season (14 at AMC)

Conrad recently completed his 13th season as the head coach of the Anna Maria men's basketball program in 2018-19. In 13 seasons, Conrad has totaled over 100 wins at Anna Maria and has led the AMCATS to two regular season conference championship titles, two Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship games, and four-straight postseason appearances. 

He reached his 100th win at Anna Maria on January 14, 2015, in the AMCATS' 75-64 win against Mount Ida. It marked the 126th win of his career, including 26 wins in three years of coaching at Fitchburg State. 

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

Anna Maria toppled Saint Joseph's by an 81-64 margin at the Harold Alfond Center on February 4th.

With the help of a game-opening 18-5 run, the visiting AMCATS held the lead for all but the first minute and headed into halftime with a 40-30 advantage.

Trailing 50-35 five minutes into the second stanza,  the Monks mounted a 9-2 surge to cut their deficit to single digits (52-44), but Anna Maria responded with 12 unanswered points and held a 64-44 cushion after junior forward Simon Berry (Londonderry, N.H.) converted a layup with 9:13 on the clock and maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of play.

Anna Maria shot 62.7% (37-59) from the floor while St. Joe's posted a 40.4% (21-52) clip from the field and the AMCATS outscored the Monks in the paint by a 54-14 margin.

Sophomore guard Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) scored the Monks' first 14 points and ended the evening with 35 points, three rebounds, and three steals while junior guard Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) added 10 points, three boards, and five assists in the loss.

For Anna Maria, junior guard Ralph Grasso, Jr. (Marlborough, Mass.) scored 22 points off a 9-for-13 shooting effort and added three rebounds and three assists while senior center Mike Rapoza (Charlton, Mass.) was 10-for-14 from the field with 20 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Bobby Perette (Marshfield, Mass.) chipped in with 19 points and nine rebounds on the evening.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the loss, Saint Joseph's fell to 11-10 all-time versus Anna Maria College, a team the Monks had defeated in five-consecutive meetings prior to the February 4th meeting.

GNAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:

The Monks have not missed the GNAC Tournament in 13 seasons as a member of the conference and have won at least one postseason contest in eight of the last ten trips. Saint Joseph's is 12-10 in GNAC tourney play with a GNAC Championship in 2009 and appearances in the title game in 2011 and 2014.

The AMCATS have advanced to the postseason in seven of eight years as a GNAC member and played in the conference championship in 2012 and 2013. Anna Maria, which missed the playoffs last winter, have lost six-consecutive GNAC Tournament tilts with their last victory being a 75-63 semifinal triumph over Saint Joseph's in Paxton on February 21st, 2013.