BANGOR, Maine – Husson University (3-0) defeated Saint Joseph's College (1-3), 90-75, in a non-conference men's basketball game on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks held the lead for the better part of the first half and secured a team-high nine-point when junior Julian Llopiz (Boston, Mass.) hit a three-pointer to cap a 10-3 run and lift his team to a 34-25 cushion with 4:29 before the break.
The Eagles responded with a game-changing 18-3 run while making 8-of-10 shots from the floor in the closing minutes leading up to halftime – a span during which the Monks went 1-for-5 from the field with three turnovers – to secure a 43-37 edge.
St. Joe's maintained a single-point deficit before reclaiming the lead with a 10-2 run, which included seven points from Llopiz, as the visitors grabbed a 54-53 advantage with 13:16 left. The in-state rivals traded the lead three times during the subsequent two minutes, with the final swing of the game – as it played out – being a Riles Neff jump shot at the 11:26 mark. Neff scored seven points in just over a minute to help the hosts secure the lead for good.
The Monks trailed by four (69-65) after sophomore Wani Donato (Portland, Maine) made a free throw with 7:05 remaining, but the Eagles rattled off 10 unanswered points with a Derek Collin layup capping the burst and the hosts firmly in the lead, 79-65 with 4:24 to play.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Husson held a 58-24 lead in points in the paint and shot 54.2% (39-72) from the floor in the victory.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) netted 18 points with seven rebounds and three steals
- Llopiz came off the bench to score 13 points with four boards and a pair of assists
- Senior Camryn Yorke (Auburn, Maine) added 12 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals
- Junior Teagan Hynes (York, Maine) chipped in with nine points, four assists, and three boards
- Freshman Remijo Wani (Portland, Maine) scored eight points with five caroms and a pair of assists
LEADERS – HUSSON:
- Jeremy Moronta posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds and compiled eight assists and six steals
- Neff scored 26 points with six boards, three assists, and three steals
- Scott Lewis contributed 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists
- Luke Caruso came off the bench to net 11 points
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's is now 39-54 in the history of the series with Husson University.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host UMaine-Farmington on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
