FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lasell upsets Emmanuel, Albertus
staves off Suffolk in GNAC Quarterfinals
It was an exciting night on Tuesday evening in the 2020 GNAC Tournament Quarterfinals, highlighted by sixth-seeded Lasell University topping third-seeded Emmanuel College, 99-78, on the road in Boston, while second-seeded Albertus Magnus College narrowly survived seventh-seeded Suffolk University, 82-79, in a nailbiter down in New Haven, Conn.
Elsewhere, fourth-seeded Anna Maria College handled fifth-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine by a 82-68 final, and top-seeded and No. 17 nationally-ranked University of Saint Joseph took down eighth-seeded Regis College, 97-75.
Both semifinal contests will take place at 7:00 PM on Thursday, with USJ welcoming Anna Maria and Albertus playing host to longtime GNAC Lasell. The championship game will be hosted by the highest remaining seed on Saturday (Feb. 29) afternoon. Should USJ win on Thursday, the Blue Jays would host the GNAC Final at 5:00 PM on Saturday.
Be sure to catch all the 2020 tournament action live on thegnac.tv or watch on one of our four custom digital streaming apps. The 2020 GNAC Champion will earn the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Tournament, with the complete field announcement scheduled for Monday, March 3 at 12:30 PM.
NO. 6 Lasell 99, NO. 3 Emmanuel 78
BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Eric Day (Norwalk, Conn.) and junior Kevin Nunez (Dorchester, Mass.) combined for 50 points Tuesday evening as sixth-seeded Lasell University upset third-seeded Emmanuel College, 98-77, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) quarterfinal game at Andy Yosinoff Court.
The Lasers took control of the game in the first half, surging to a 56-34 lead on 58.8 percent shooting (20-of-34), including 63.2 percent from three-point range (12-of-19). The Saints, meanwhile were limited to 36.7 shooting in the first half (11-of-30), including 14.3 percent (1-of-7) from beyond the arc. Lasell kept the heat on throughout the second half, not allowing Emmanuel closer than 14 points.
The Lasers advance to a GNAC semifinal on Thursday, February 27, at second-seeded Albertus Magnus College after the Falcons pulled out an 82-79 victory over seventh-seeded Suffolk University in Tuesday's quarterfinal.
Day finished with a game-high 29 points on 12-of-24 shooting, including three 3-pointers, while Nunez scored 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-6 from long range. Junior Kevin Vanderhorst (Lawrence, Mass.) was good for 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and a team-high nine rebounds, classmate Jonathan Friberg (North Attleboro, Mass.) added 12 points and six boards, and freshman Demerrick Warren (Deerfield, Fla.) contributed 11 points off the bench.
Junior Zach Crisafulli (Easthampton, Mass.) led the Saints with 21 points and 10 rebounds, converting 7-of-11 from the floor. Senior Emmett Riddick (Middletown, Conn.) scored 19 points, junior Marcus Fox (Danbury, Conn.) added 12 points, and graduate student Dan Flaherty (Warwick, R.I.) chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
Lasell went ahead 11-2 early on after three-pointers by junior Keith Poitier (Hartford, Conn.), Nunez and Day and a Day two-pointer. Emmanuel clawed its way back to within two points, 20-18, but the Lasers responded with a 14-4 burst to pull ahead, 34-22, as Nunez, Warren and Vanderhorst combined to drain four long balls. The Saints were within seven points, 34-27, with 6:30 to play, but Lasell outscored the hosts 22-7 over the rest of the half to hold a 56-34 margin at the break.
The teams traded baskets in the second half as Emmanuel tried to climb back in the game, but Lasell would not relinquish the lead. The Saints were within 16 points at the midway point after a three by Crisafulli and within 14 points two minutes later, but back-to-back baskets by Friberg and a bucket by Day pushed the margin back up to 20 points, 82-62, with five minutes to play, and Emmanuel didn't threaten the rest of the way.
In the semifinals, Lasell will look to avenge a 105-97 regular-season loss at Albertus Magnus on February 12.
It will be the fifth straight season that Lasell and Albertus Magnus have met in the playoffs, with the Falcons winning the previous four. Third-seeded Albertus upset the second-seeded Lasers in 2016 (87-80), in a semifinal at Lasell. The teams met in the championship game in 2017 in New Haven, with the top-seeded Falcons pulling away to a 101-83 victory over the third-seeded Lasers. It was a semifinal clash in 2018 with top-seeded Albertus Magnus taking a 97-86 victory on home court over the fourth-seeded Lasers, and the top-seeded Falcons eliminated eighth-seeded Lasell last season, 99-79.
Courtesy of Lasell Athletics Communications.
NO. 4 Anna Maria 82, NO. 5 Saint Joseph's Maine 66
PAXTON, Mass. – The Anna Maria men's basketball team defeated GNAC opponent Saint Joseph's College Tuesday evening in the quarterfinal round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference's postseason to advance into the semifinal round. Anna Maria returns to action on Thursday for the semifinal round, as they travel to the University of Saint Joseph's who is the #1 seed. Game time is set for 7:00 PM
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- This contest was back and forth through the whole first half and even late into the second with a total of nine lead changes throughout the game.
- The AMCATS gained the upper hand early on with big man Mike Rapoza (Charlton, MA) scoring the first 10 points of the game. The Monks kept it close throughout the entire first half forcing five lead changes. Anna Maria did, however, hold the lead more often than not and even built a seven-point lead going into the half.
- Rapoza took a game high of 12 points and seven rebounds into the locker room. SJC's Griffin Foley had the team high going into the break with six points.
- The second half was a continuation of the first with another four lead changes within the first 14 minutes into the half. When the AMCATS built a slight advantage the Monks 47 3-pt shooting percentage kept them coming back over and over again. They displayed impeccable ball movement to take what seemed like always a wide-open shot.
- St. Joe's eventually cooled off when it got to the 6:04 mark with the score at 64-65 in the 'CATS favor. The Monks would go scoreless the rest of the game besides two free throws with 52 seconds left. While SJC was struggling to regain their groove the AMCAST built onto their lead with free throws to get to the final of 82-66.
- Jakai Alexandre (Fitchburg, MA), Rapoza, and Bobby Perette (Marshfield, MA) all finished with 14 points in the second half alone. For Saint Joseph's Nicholas Curtis finished with nine points to lead the team in the half.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Griffin Foley finished tied for the team high with Nicholas Curtis at 14 apiece and each also had 2 assists.
- Rapoza finished with a game high 26 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 steals.
- Alexandre ended just one assist shy of a double-double with 19 points and 9 assists.
- Perette tallied 18 points on 3-9 from behind the arc to go along with his 4 rebounds.
Courtesy of Anna Maria Athletics Communications.
NO. 1 USJ 97, NO. 8 Regis 75
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Regis College attempted to stick with one of the top teams in the country, but top seed University of Saint Joseph eventually pulled away to defeat the eighth-seeded Pride, 97-75, Tuesday night in a quarterfinal matchup of the 2020 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Basketball Tournament at a sold-out O'Connell Center.
With the victory, USJ improves to 24-2, extends its winning streak to 23 games, and advances to host Thursday's semifinal against fourth seed Anna Maria, an 82-66 victor over Saint Joseph's College. Regis College sees its 2019-2020 season conclude with an 8-18 overall record.
Four players scored in double figures for the Pride, led by Marc Trinidad (Bronx, N.Y.) with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 15 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season. Devante Thompson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) finished with 16 points, three rebounds, and four assists, while Dimitri Rosa (Tiverton, R.I.) scored 11 points and Cam Wilkins (Taunton, Mass.) added 10 points.
Jaecee Martin scored the first five points of the game to help the Blue Jays open a 9-2 advantage, but Regis rattled off six straight points, four of them from Thompson, to close to within one at 11-10. After a three-pointer by Rosa tied the game at 15-15, USJ nailed three straight long distance shots from Jaecee Martin, Taelon Martin, and Delshawn Jackson Jr. to open a 25-17 lead midway through the first half.
The Pride closed to within four at 33-29 with 4:44 left in the first half on a layup by Trinidad, but the Blue Jays put together a 15-5 scoring stretch to close out the half and take a 48-34 lead into halftime. In the second half, a three-pointer by Zak Latifi (Holliston, Mass.) and a jumper from Jalil Wilkerson (New Haven, Conn.) brought the Pride within 11 at 65-54, but USJ put the game away with a 14-3 scoring run, capped by a dunk from Taelon Martin.
All five starters reached double figures in scoring for the Blue Jays, led by Jackson Jr. with 17 points and Jordan Powell with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four blocked shots. Ryan O'Neill scored 14 points, Jaecee Martin nearly notched a triple-double with 13 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, and Jake Sullivan contributed 10 points. Taelon Martin came off the bench and added 12 points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals to the winning effort.
As a team, USJ shot 52.9 percent (36-of-68) from the field, including 8-of-19 from behind the three-point line, and 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the free throw line. The Blue Jays won the rebounding battle, 45-39, and dished out 25 assists while committing only seven turnovers.
The Pride shot 38.8 percent (26-of-67) from the field, including 8-of-27 from behind the three-point line, and 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the free throw line. Regis committed only 10 turnovers in the contest and scored 15 second chance points off 14 offensive rebounds.
The loss means the end of the collegiate careers of seniors Josh Germain (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Gibou Njie (Miramar, Fla.), and Rosa.
Courtesy of Regis Athletics Communications.
NO. 2 Albertus Magnus 82, NO. 7 Suffolk 79
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team enjoyed the sweet taste of revenge on Tuesday night, eliminating the seventh-seeded Rams of Suffolk University from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Basketball Tournament in a nail-biting 82-79 home victory at "The Nest". With the win, the Falcons avenge the 81-68 loss they suffered to the Rams earlier this season and extend their current winning streak to seven games.
The second-seeded Falcons will now host sixth-seeded Lasell University in the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 27th at 7PM in New Haven, Conn.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Falcons struck first on a made lay-up by Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Norwalk, Conn.), before Tyreek Perkins (New Haven, Conn.) drained a pair of free throws to give the Falcons the lead, 4-2. The Rams' Brendan Mulson retaliated with a made lay-up, erasing the deficit and tying it 4-4 two minutes in.
The teams traded baskets for the next several minutes, with the Rams coming out ahead, 10-8. Green-Younger was then fouled on a three-point attempt, and swished all three of his free throws, bringing the Falcons to within one, 12-11, with 15:24 remaining. The Rams then went on a 5-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Jonathan Eng, to take a six-point lead, 17-11.
The Falcons retaliated with a three-point play from Qualon Wilkes (Bridgeport, Conn.) to cut the deficit to three, 17-14. A deep three-pointer from Suffolk's Cameron Powers forced an Falcons time-out and put the visitors up six, 20-14, before Albertus' Davon Warner (New Haven, Conn.) swished back-to-back treys to tie it at 20.
The Rams roared back with a 14-2 run, giving the visitors their largest lead of the day, 34-22, with just under nine minutes to play. Rob Tindley (Lawnside, N.J.) got the Falcons back on track and sparked a 15-5 run to tie the game at 39-all with a 1:30 on the clock.
Soon after, Suffolk's Cameron Powers scored an easy lay-up, giving the visitor's the lead again, 41-39, but a pair of free throws from Andrew Rice (West Haven, Conn.) evened the game at 41-all heading into the halftime break.
Green-Younger scored the first five points of the second half, giving the Falcons the lead once more, 46-41. The Rams then went on a 7-4 run to trim the deficit to two, 50-48. Shortly after, back-to-back baskets from Green-Younger and a Rice lay-up made it a two-possession game, 56-52, with 12:30 left on the clock.
With just under nine minutes remaining in regulation, the Rams battled back to within one, 64-63, but the Falcons retaliated with a lay-up from Terry Dawkins (Bronx, N.Y.) to cushion the lead, 66-63. A foul on Tindley led to a pair of made free throws, regaining the lead for the Falcons, 68-67, before the Rams went on another short spurt, taking the lead 72-68 and forcing the Falcons to call a time-out.
Out of the break, the Falcons then went on a 9-0 run to take a 77-72 lead with 2:15 remaining in regulation, but the Rams answered with a 7-3 run to get within one, 80-79, with twelve seconds remaining.
A foul on Green-Younger resulted in a pair of made free throws bringing the Falcons to 82-79. The Rams were unable to respond in the last few seconds and the nail-biter ended in a quarterfinal Falcon victory.
TEAM STATS
- Albertus - 44.8% FG | 38.9%3PT| 76.7%FT
- Suffolk - 42.2% FG | 37%3PT | 78.9%FT
- This game had eight ties and nine lead changes.
KEY PERFORMERS
Albertus:
- Jahmerikah Green-Younger - 23 points (8-18 FG, 2-9 3PT, 5-5 FT) | 3 rebounds | 3 assists
- Tyreek Perkins - 13 points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5-8 FT) | 4 rebounds |4 assists | 2 steals | 1 block
- Terry Dawkins - 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 FT) | 6 rebounds | 1 assist
- Rob Tindley - 10 points (3-6 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-2 FT) | 1 rebound | 1 assist
- Andrew Rice - 11 points (2-3 FG, 1-2 3PT, 6-6 FT) | 1 rebound | 1 assist | 1 block
Suffolk:
- Thomas Duffy - 24 points (10-20 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-3 FT) | 3 rebounds | 2 assists
- Jonathan Eng - 19 points (6-9 FG, 6-9 3PT, 1-2 FT) | 1 steal
- Cameron Powers - 13 points (4-10 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-6 FT) | 5 rebounds | 2 assists | 2 steals
- Brendan Mulson - 11 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3PT) | 9 rebounds | 5 assists
NOTEWORTHY
- The Falcons are now 27-17 all-time against the Rams.
- The Falcons have an all-time play-off record of 34-11, and are 2-0 all-time against the Rams in postseason play.
- Albertus recorded a season-low seven turnovers.
- Freshman Justice Washington (Hamden, Conn.) led the defensive attack with two blocks to go with four rebounds.
- The Falcons scored 25 of their points off 15 Rams' turnovers.
- Albertus outscored Suffolk in the paint, 32-30, but the visitors held a 19-2 advantage in second chance points.
- Green-Younger led the Falcons in scoring for the fifth straight game as well as recorded his seventh 20-point performance.
- With tonight's win, Head Coach Mitch Oliver has recorded his 272nd win after taking over the reigns in 2007.
Courtesy of Albertus Athletics Communications.
Semifinals - Thursday, February 27 (at high seeds)
Game 5: #4 Anna Maria vs. #1 St. Joseph (CT) - 7:00 PM
Game 6: #6 Lasell vs. #2 Albertus Magnus - 7:00 PM
Championship - Saturday, February 29 (at highest remaining seed)
Game 7: At highest remaining seed
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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