FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Top-seeded Albertus Magnus College and second-seeded Johnson & Wales University both handled business at home on Thursday evening in the semifinals of the 2015 GNAC Men's Basketball Tournament to advance to Saturday's conference championship game.
Albertus Magnus handled fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine, 81-51, while Johnson & Wales topped sixth-seeded Emmanuel College, 77-43.
The host Falcons will now get set welcome the Wildcats for a 1:00 p.m. tip on Saturday. Be sure to follow the GNAC on Twitter (@TheGNAC) for all of the latest updates and information throughout the championship, and the game will be streamed online by d3hoops.com.
#1 ALBERTUS MAGNUS 81, #4 SAINT JOSEPH'S (MAINE) 51
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Albertus Magnus senior Victor Ljuljdjuraj (pictured) had 17 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks and four steals and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career as the Falcons cruised to victory on Thursday. They shot 44.1 percent for the game, while Saint Joseph's Maine shot just 31.7 percent. The Monks also committed 23 turnovers.
Saint Joseph's Maine senior Steve Simonds scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-28 shooting, including just 5-of-17 from three, and eight rebounds in the loss for the Monks, who managed just 17 points in the second half. No teammate of Simonds registered more than eight points in the loss.
Albertus Magnus senior Tavon Sledge had a team-high 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe on top of six assists and four boards. Classmate Eian Davis contributed 14 points and five assists in the win.
#2 JOHNSON & WALES 77, #6 EMMANUEL 43
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Johnson & Wales finished the final 13:23 of the first half with a 30-9 run to bury the Saints on Thursday evening, as visiting Emmauel shot just 27.3 percent for the contest, converting on just 15 field goals on the night in a stellar defensive effort by the Wildcats.
JWU was led by junior Tom Garrick, who had 28 points (9-18 FG), six rebounds and five steals in the victory. Fellow junior Quarry Greenaway added 12 points and six boards for the Wildcats, who shot 47.3 percent for the contest.
Emmanuel junior John Clay led the Saints with 12 points, nine rebounds and five steals. Junior Kyle Davis chipped in six points and six rebounds.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, Feb. 24 | RECAP
#1 Albertus Magnus 108, #8 Suffolk 82 | BOX | PROGRAM
#4 Saint Joseph's (Maine) 84, #5 Lasell 77 (OT) | BOX | PROGRAM
#6 Emmanuel 76, #3 Anna Maria 73 | BOX | PROGRAM
#2 Johnson & Wales 81, #7 Mount Ida 57 | BOX | PROGRAM
Semifinals - Thursday, Feb. 26
#1 Albertus Magnus 81, #4 Saint Joseph's (Maine) 51 | BOX | PROGRAM
#2 Johnson & Wales 77, #6 Emmanuel 43 | BOX | PROGRAM
Championship - Saturday, Feb. 28
#2 Johnson & Wales at #1 Albertus Magnus - 1:00 p.m.
– #theGNAC –