PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Theodores '25
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Junior guard Julian Llopiz (Boston, Mass.) netted a career-high 27 points to propel #3 Saint Joseph's College (18-9) past #2 Albertus Magnus College (22-5), 88-87, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball tournament semifinal on Thursday evening.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's advances to the GNAC Championship for the first time since 2014 and will play at top-seeded University of Saint Joseph on Saturday at 7:00 PM. USJ defeated #5 Norwich University, 69-60, in the other semifinal tonight and will be playing in the GNAC title game for the fifth-consecutive season.
For Albertus Magnus – the reigning GNAC Champions – the loss signals the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In a postseason tilt featuring 22 lead changes and 10 tie scores where neither team achieved a double-digit lead, the Falcons looked to pull away late in the first half with a 14-3 run, which was capped by a Justice Washington layup and the hosts leading, 41-32, with 3:57 left in the opening frame.
The Monks closed out the first period with a 17-4 outburst and headed into intermission with a 49-45 edge after junior point guard Teagan Hynes (York, Maine) made a layup with three seconds left in the frame.
Saint Joseph's kicked off the second stanza with a 7-2 burst – including a pair of Remijo Wani (Portland, Maine) layups - to make it a 56-47 game with 18:18 left to play. The Monks held at least a share of the lead until Tazhon Daniels put the Falcons on top, 81-80, with a layup at the 4:56 mark. Three lead changes followed during the subsequent four minutes, as Llopiz looked to drive the final nail with a three-pointer that lifted his team to an 88-87 advantage with 56 seconds left.
A key play that will not be found in the books followed, as Wani drew a charge on a Jeyson Slade drive on the Falcons' ensuing possession. The Monks missed a jumper on their next trip down the floor, giving the hosts the ball with 16 seconds left. After a timeout, Washington missed a layup on a designed play, resulting in a dead ball rebound for the Falcons, who saw their in-bounds pass with three seconds remaining swatted away by Wani as time expired.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Three-point shooting proved to be the difference, as the Monks made 16-of-33 attempts from downtown for a 48.5% clip…The Falcons attempted only 12 shots from deep, making five for a 41.7% rate.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Llopiz came off the bench to score 27 points off a 5-for-8 three-point shooting effort with two rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals
- Wani had an excellent game with 18 points, five boards, and three assists
- Grad Ashtyn Abbott (Farmingdale, Maine) added 17 points, five caroms, and three assists
- Hynes chipped in with eight points and five assists
- Sophomore John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) tallied eight points, nine rebounds, and four assists
- Senior Camryn Yorke (Auburn, Maine) contributed seven points, four boards, and two assists
LEADERS – ALBERTUS MAGNUS:
- Washington notched an impressive double-double with 32 points and 17 rebounds while shooting 15-for-22 from the floor
- Daniels added 12 points and five assists
- Slade scored 11 points with two assists
- Antonio Bonilla chipped in with 10 points, four caroms, and two assists
- Kevin Crawford netted 10 points with five assists, two boards, and a pair of steals
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 11-19 all-time versus Albertus Magnus College and snaps a four-game losing streak at the hands of the Falcons. Tonight's triumph was the Monks' first win at Albertus since winning 86-83 on January 17th, 2011. Prior to today, St. Joe's had suffered 11 straight losses in New Haven.
