STANDISH, Maine - Saint Joseph's College (2-0) defeated UMaine-Augusta (2-3), 87-74, in a non-conference men's basketball contest at the Harold Alfond Center on Sunday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Neither team managed to secure a lasting lead until the Monks rattled off a 19-4 run spanning seven minutes, as an Ashtyn Abbott (Farmingdale, Maine) three-pointer closed out the surge with the hosts ahead, 35-18, with 1:26 left in the first half.
Saint Joseph's carried a 37-22 advantage into intermission and proceeded to maintain a double-digit advantage for the remainder of the contest. Freshman Maxwell Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) hit a free throw with 12:26 left to lift the Monks to a game-high 23-point (61-38) lead.
Trailing 71-52 with 7:54 remaining, UMaine-Augusta threatened to jump back into contention with a 14-5 run over the next four minutes, but Saint Joseph's countered with an 11-5 outbreak – capped by a Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) three-pointer – and the hosts on top, 87-71, with 1:03 on the clock.
STATS OF THE GAME:
The Monks held a 32-11 advantage in bench points...St. Joe's shot 47.8% (33-69) from the field while UMaine-Augusta shot 40.6% (28-69) from the floor.
LEADERS - SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Senior Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) overcame a slow start to net a game-high 26 points with nine rebounds and five assists
- Junior Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) was 5-for-9 from three-point distance with 21 points, seven boards, and five assists
- Sophomore Ashtyn Abbott (Farmingdale, Maine) provided a spark off the bench with 12 points and eight rebounds
- Junior David Keohan (West Newfield, Maine) tacked on 10 points and five rebounds
- Freshman Maxwell Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) scored six points in nine minutes off the bench
LEADERS - UMAINE-AUGUSTA:
- Nathaniel Henderson notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds with thre assists and a pair of steals
- Elijah Smith netted 18 points with seven boards and four helpers
- Jalaughn Jackson contributed 14 points with four assists and a pair of rebounds
- Eric Crawford added eight points with three rebounds
- Israel Brown came off the bench to score seven points
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the win, Saint Joseph's improves to 4-0 all-time versus UMaine-Augusta.
NEXT!
The Monks will host Colby College next Saturday at 2:00 PM. Spectators are not allowed, but fans can watch the game live on www.gomonks.tv.
