NEWTON, MA – Mount Ida College (6-14, 2-11 GNAC) topped Saint Joseph's (12-7, 8-5 GNAC), 69-52, in GNAC men's basketball action on Monday night. Junior forward Nicholas Jobin (Westbrook, Maine) netted a game-high 21 points in the losing effort.
In a contest that featured seven lead changes and eight tie scores, neither team held a lead of more than five points until midway through the second stanza when Mount Ida was in the early stages of a game-altering 23-5 run. The Monks were unable to overcome the hosts' offensive outburst, which came to a close with 4:55 remaining and the Mustangs owning a game-high 18-point (63-45) lead.
Leading 30-27 halftime, Mount Ida halted a typically-strong Saint Joseph's offensive attack, holding the Monks to just 25 points in the second stanza. Overall, the Mustangs netted 23 points off 21 Saint Joseph's turnovers and held the Royal Blue to a 28.8% (17-59) shooting effort from the floor for the contest. Mount Ida also held a 32-13 advantage in bench points in the conference victory.
Mount Ida entered tonight's action having never defeated Saint Joseph's with 13 losses in as many meetings versus their GNAC counterpart, including a 69-50 setback at the hands of the Monks on January 15th in Standish. The Mustangs capped a seven-game losing streak and the Monks saw a three-game winning string come to a close with the result.
The action was very close through the first ten minutes of the opening half with the visitors leading by a 13-5 margin capping a very cold beginning offensively for both sides.
Two minutes later (8:15), the Mustangs took over the advantage for the second time in the contest up 16-13 following a successful lay-in by Walker.
Although St. Joe's gained a three point lead (25-22) following a good trifecta by sophomore forward Steve Simonds (Steep Falls, Maine), the hosts would finish the half strong heading into the locker room up 30-27.
After the Monks regained the advantage early (12:24) in the opening of the second stanza, Mount Ida knotted the action (40-40) after a good lay-up by Fortes.
With a swarming defense and solid offensive play, the Mustangs powered through a 19-4 run for the next six minutes (6:43) to encompass a 59-44 lead capped on a Castro freebie.
Mount Ida made it a game-high 18 point advantage with 2:40 to go in the contest with an exclamation point dunk by Fortes going ahead 65-47. The visitors were on the ropes at this point with the Mustangs closing out the 69-52 GNAC victory.
For the Monks, junior forward Nicholas Jobin (Westbrook, ME/Westbrook) notched a game-high 21 points and four rebounds while junior guard Matthew Medeiros (Westport, MA/Westport) added seven points, six assists and five rebounds.
Freshman forward John Fortes (New Bedford, Mass.) came off the bench to lead the Mustangs with 20 points while sophomore guard Aaron Kelly (Norwalk, Conn.) netted 14 and freshman point guard Brandon Castro (Dorchester, Mass.) tallied 11 assists and four steals and first-year forward Cam Walker (New Bedford, Mass.) added 13 points and six rebounds for the hosts.
Saint Joseph's hosts Maine-Farmington on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM while Mount Ida plays at Johnson & Wales University on Thursday at 7:00 PM.
THANKS IN LARGE PART TO MOUNT IDA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
