STANDISH, Maine – Husson University (10-0) slipped past Saint Joseph's College (2-4), 81-78, in what was the 2021 abbreviated-season final for both men's basketball programs at the Harold Alfond Center on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Jack Casale (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) registered a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds in the losing effort.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In a contest featuring 10 lead changes and five tie scores, the visiting Eagles owned the game's final swing when sophomore forward Scott Lewis (South Portland, Maine) broke a 78-all tie with a layup and 1:36 remaining in regulation. J Thomas (Chicago, Ill.) made a free throw with 13 seconds left to make it a three-point game and the Monks had possession as the time dwindled, but a three-point attempt that would have tied the tilt taken by Casale was off the mark.
Neither team managed to claim a double-digit point lead on the afternoon, as the in-state rivals traded blows until the final buzzer rang. The largest advantage, nine points, was held by Husson when Thomas made a layup to lift his team to a 64-55 cushion with 12:28 remaining in the second half.
The Monks responded to the nine-point deficit with an 18-7 run, as a Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) three-pointer put the Royal Blue on top, 73-71, with 5:51 left to play. The former conference foes swapped the lead three times before Lewis broke a 78-78 tie with a layup.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Contributions from the bench were a deciding factor in today's matchup, as the Eagles' bench players outscored the Monks' reserves by a 39-22 margin…Husson also scored 17 points off 14 SJC turnovers while St. Joe's netted seven points off 10 Eagle miscues.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Casale led all players in scoring and rebounding and added five assists in his final game at the Alfond Center
- Foley netted 15 points with five boards and three assists
- Sophomore Ian Jennings came off the bench to score 13 points off a 4-for-5 three-point shooting performance
- Junior Nicholas Curtis (Windham, Maine) chipped in with 10 points and three assists
- Senior Kevin Baker (Franklin, Mass.) dealt six assists
- Senior Patrick Kelly (Charlestown, Mass.) added four points, four rebounds, and two steals
LEADERS – HUSSON:
- Thomas came off the bench to pace the Eagles with 23 points and added five boards
- Lewis scored 18 points with nine rebounds, five blocked shots, and three assists
- Brett Cunningham contributed with 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals
SENIOR MOMENT:
Today's game was the final collegiate contest for the Monks' five seniors: Casale, Baker, Kelly, Tatsuaki Sakai (Ishikawa, Japan), and Michael Ferrie (North Kingstown, R.I.). With this group of four-year players, Saint Joseph's posted a 49-36 (.577) overall record, including a 24-14 (.632) mark in conference play with three Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament appearances.
