STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (6-5, 2-1 GNAC) outlasted Anna Maria College (1-10, 0-3 GNAC), 91-81, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball play at the Harold Alfond Center on Tuesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks used a scoring surge in each half to hold off the AMCATS as a 15-5 run in the opening frame provided the hosts with a 37-26 advantage with 4:13 before the break. In the second half, Anna Maria managed to tie the game at 55-apiece on the heels of a 10-3 outbreak with 14:56 remaining.
Sparked with a huge blocked shot by freshman Wani Donato (Portland, Maine) on an Anna Maria fast-break bid at the 13:39 mark, the Monks registered a 16-2 run spanning three minutes to secure a 14-point (71-57) cushion with 10:33 left to play. Sophomore Julian Llopiz (Boston, Mass.) drilled a pair of three-pointers and first-year John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) scored five points during the SJC surge.
St. Joe's led by double digits until the AMCATS made one last push by way of a 12-4 run that cut the visitors' deficit down to just five points (84-79) with 2:30 on the clock. The Monks managed to turn the tide with the help of an Ashtyn Abbott (Farmingdale, Maine) fast-break dunk and a 5-for-6 free-throw shooting performance in the closing minutes.
STATS OF THE GAME:
The Monks' three-point shooting proved to be the difference, as nine players combined to make 15-of-32 shots from beyond the arc for a 46.9% clip.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Graduate guard Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) led all scorers with 25 points and added six rebounds, six assists, and a pair of steals
- Llopiz netted a career-high 23 points off a 6-for-7 three-point shooting effort in just 15 minutes off the bench
- Frazier tied a season-high with 18 points and pulled down seven boards
- Abbott added six points and six rebounds
- Sophomore guard Teagan Hynes (York, Maine) chipped in with four points and six assists
LEADERS – ANNA MARIA:
- Gabe Armstead posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds
- Sean Zabari tallied 16 points, six boards, and a pair of steals
- Deandre Wallace came off the bench to net 10 points with four caroms
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 12-13 all-time versus Anna Maria College and snaps a four-game skid at the hands of the AMCATS, who entered tonight's action having not lost to the Monks since 2019.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host GNAC foe Rivier University on Saturday at 3:00 PM.
