NEW HAVEN, CT – Nationally-ranked Albertus Magnus College (12-1, 7-0 GNAC) outlasted Saint Joseph's College (7-7, 6-1 GNAC), 86-78, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon. Senior forward Nicholas Jobin (Westbrook, Maine) tallied 25 points and 16 rebounds – both game-highs – in the losing effort.
Senior Darius Watson (New Britain, Conn.) led four Falcons in double figures as he tallied 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He added eight rebounds and four assists as well. Freshman Eian Davis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 11 points in 14 minutes of work, while senior Lemar Larsen (Waterbury, Conn.) chipped in with 17 points and six boards.
Senior guard Matthew Medeiros (Westport, Mass.) posted 21 points and six assists, junior guard Steve Simonds (Steep Falls, Maine) added nine points and junior forward Zach Blodgett (Glenburn, Maine) contributed eight points in the loss. Junior guard Jordan Tripp (Maspeth, N.Y.) and sophomore guard Jerome Diggs (Washington, D.C.) chipped in with six points apiece for the Monks.
The Falcons entered today's game after a 62.1% showing from the floor on Wednesday in their dominating 34-point win over the AMCats of Anna Maria. Today, the Falcons – ranked 23rd in the most recent D3Hoops.com national poll - shot 48.4% on 30-of-62 shooting from the floor.
Play was close in the opening minutes of the contest before the Falcons jumped out to a 24-16 lead. In the first half, the Falcons pushed out to an 18-point lead with one minute left in the frame. The Falcons held a 49-34 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Monks kept the deficit just 10 points by trailing 54-44 before Albertus extended its lead. The Falcons led 80-62 before the Monks were able to close the gap within the final two minutes of play. The Falcons hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final two minutes of play to clinch the victory despite the late Monks' rally.
Both teams face GNAC opponents on Monday, when Saint Joseph's travels to Johnson & Wales University and Albertus Magnus hosts Rivier University. Both contests are slated to begin at 3:00 PM.
GAME NOTES:
Saint Joseph's falls to 7-7 in the history of the series with Albertus Magnus with the setback…the Falcons, winners of three of the past four GNAC Championships, have now defeated the Monks in five-consecutive meetings…for the Falcons, the winning margin was the lowest this winter – a small consolation for the Monks…Jobin set a new career-high in rebounds and tied a personal best in points in the loss…his 16 boards is the most pulled down by an SJC player since Ray Eatmon '09 notched the same total versus Mount Ida College on February 7th, 2009…UP NEXT: St. Joe's is 8-5 in the history of the series with Johnson & Wales and toppled the Wildcats 82-63 earlier at the Alfond Center earlier this season (12/3/13)…Jobin led a quartet of double-digit scorers in the Monks, victory with 25 points off an outstanding 11-16 shooting performance that day versus JWU.
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 430-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.
