DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Whittier College (3-5) defeated Saint Joseph's College (4-5), 84-79, in the consolation game of the Mauro Panaggio Tournament at DME Sports Complex on Monday afternoon.

FIRST GLANCE:

Freshman guard Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) netted 15 points to lead six SJC players in double digits as the Monks fell on the wrong side of a rally for the second time in as many days in the Sunshine State.

THE REST OF THE STORY:

Saint Joseph's held a 37-33 advantage at halftime and a nine-point (45-36) cushion two minutes into the second stanza after junior guard Ian Mileikis (Auburn, Maine) drained three-pointers on consecutive trips down the court.

The Monks broke free from a 53-53-stalemate midway through the second period as a traditional three-point player by junior forward Jae Johns (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) capped a 6-0 run with the Royal Blue on top, 59-53 with 9:47 remaining.

The teams proceeded to swap the lead seven times over the next eight minutes, but a jumper from senior guard Louis Kurihara (Culver City, Calif.) at the 1:43 mark lifted the Poets to a 76-75 edge and proved to be the final swing, as Whittier senior guard Eric Davis (Ventura, Calif.) went 6-6 from the free throw line over the closing 25 seconds to seal the victory.

KEY STAT:

The Poets scored 25 points off 15 SJC turnovers while the Monks netted just seven points off nine Whittier miscues.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Junior guard Darian Berry (Rochester, N.H.) tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists
• Junior guard Ian Mileikis (Auburn, Maine) added 14 points and five boards
• Senior forward Aaron Hall (Haverhill, Mass.) scored 14 points with seven caroms
• Sophomore guard Mario Nery (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in with 14 points - off a 7-9 free-throw shooting performance - with three boards, three assists, and a pair of steals

LEADERS – WHITTIER:

• Senior forward Victor Nwaba (Los Angeles, Calif.) led all players with 23 points and nine rebounds
• Junior forward Reggie Dixon (Oxnard, Calif.) came off the bench to score 12 points with five boards
• Davis was 8-8 from the charity stripe with seven rebounds and six assists

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

This afternoon's contest marked the first meeting between the institutions' men's basketball teams.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's will host University of New England at 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 30th.

#GOMONKS

Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram!

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 474-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.